Communal ethical factors that may be involved in determining the moral position

by | Feb 9, 2025 | Essays

 

What are the personal and/or communal ethical factors that may be involved in determining the moral position of either side in that debate?

 

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Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

The telehealth debate in social work, as outlined in my previous response, involves several personal and communal ethical factors that influence the moral positions on each side. Here’s a breakdown:

Arguments FOR Telehealth:

  • Personal Ethical Factors:

    • Beneficence: Social workers are ethically obligated to act in the best interests of their clients. For proponents of telehealth, the potential to expand access to care, especially for underserved populations, aligns with this principle. They may see telehealth as a way to maximize positive outcomes and minimize suffering by reaching those who otherwise wouldn’t receive services.

The telehealth debate in social work, as outlined in my previous response, involves several personal and communal ethical factors that influence the moral positions on each side. Here’s a breakdown:

Arguments FOR Telehealth:

  • Personal Ethical Factors:

    • Beneficence: Social workers are ethically obligated to act in the best interests of their clients. For proponents of telehealth, the potential to expand access to care, especially for underserved populations, aligns with this principle. They may see telehealth as a way to maximize positive outcomes and minimize suffering by reaching those who otherwise wouldn’t receive services.
    • Justice: Advocates might view telehealth as a means of promoting social justice by addressing disparities in access to care based on geographic location, socioeconomic status, or other factors. They believe it offers a more equitable distribution of resources.
    • Autonomy (Client-focused): Telehealth can empower clients by offering them greater control over when and how they receive services. It respects their autonomy by providing a more flexible and potentially less stigmatizing option.
    • Professional Duty: Some social workers may feel a professional duty to utilize available technologies to enhance their reach and effectiveness, particularly if they believe it can improve client outcomes.

  • Communal Ethical Factors:

    • Social Responsibility: From a community perspective, telehealth can be seen as a way to address public health needs and improve the overall well-being of the population. It can be particularly relevant in areas with limited access to mental health professionals.
    • Resource Allocation: Telehealth may be viewed as a more efficient and cost-effective way to deliver services, allowing limited resources to be stretched further and reach more people.
    • Community Health: Improving access to care, particularly for mental health, can contribute to a healthier and more stable community.

Arguments AGAINST Telehealth:

  • Personal Ethical Factors:

    • Non-Maleficence: Those wary of telehealth may prioritize avoiding harm. They might be concerned about the potential for breaches of confidentiality, the difficulty of assessing client safety in a virtual environment (especially in crisis situations), or the risk of misdiagnosis due to limited nonverbal cues.
    • Fidelity: Building trust and a strong therapeutic relationship is crucial in social work. Opponents might argue that the lack of face-to-face interaction in telehealth can hinder the development of rapport and compromise the therapeutic alliance, potentially harming the client-worker relationship.
    • Autonomy (Social Worker-focused): Some social workers might feel that telehealth limits their professional autonomy to make clinical judgments based on a full assessment of the client, including in-person observation and interaction. They might feel that technology interferes with the traditional therapeutic process.
    • Professional Integrity: Maintaining high professional standards is paramount. Those against telehealth might worry that the limitations of the technology could compromise the quality of services and potentially lead to ethical violations.

  • Communal Ethical Factors:

    • Equity and Access (Digital Divide): While telehealth can improve access, it can also exacerbate existing inequalities if not implemented thoughtfully. The digital divide, where some communities lack access to technology and internet, could further marginalize already vulnerable populations.
    • Social Justice: If telehealth widens the gap in access to care, it could be seen as a social injustice, further disadvantaging those who are already underserved.
    • Community Standards: Some communities might have cultural or social norms that prioritize in-person interaction, making telehealth less acceptable or appropriate.

Key Considerations:

It’s important to recognize that these ethical factors are often intertwined and can conflict with one another. For example, while telehealth might promote justice by increasing access for some, it could simultaneously undermine justice by excluding those without technology. The moral position one takes on telehealth will depend on how they weigh these competing ethical considerations. Furthermore, the specific context, including the client population, the type of services being offered, and the available resources, will influence the ethical considerations. A nuanced approach is necessary to navigate the complex ethical landscape of telehealth in social work.

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