Ethical Dilemma

[mmcd]

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I guess it depends on your definition of ethical. I would think alot of people would agree that turning in work, in an academic environment, is on balance an unethical act for a variety of reasons (unfair to other students etc.).

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I don't see why an "academic environment" deserves special treatment. I agree that taking credit for someone else's work without their permission is a little unethical. But here, the person doing the work doesn't want credit, he just wants a couple hundred bucks. It's not like the futures of everyone in the class will be altered if the kid gets an 86 on the paper instead of a 74 or whatever.

[Aloysius]

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I don't see why an "academic environment" deserves special treatment. I agree that taking credit for someone else's work without their permission is a little unethical. But here, the person doing the work doesn't want credit, he just wants a couple hundred bucks. It's not like the futures of everyone in the class will be altered if the kid gets an 86 on the paper instead of a 74 or whatever.

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From a real-world standpoint what you're saying makes sense. I think often times ethics applied to real world situations underscores the stupidity of holding fast to certain ideals, without exception or flexibility.

But from a pure ethical standpoint - the idea is that if OP writes this paper, his buddy gets a "free pass". This is unfair to everyone else who didn't get that free pass and had to spend their valuable time / resources getting it done.

Assuming OP's buddy gets a higher grade than he would've if OP didn't write the paper - this is also unfair to others, because we have to assume OP's buddy is in direct competition with other students for jobs, grad school whatever.

[mmcd]

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But from a pure ethical standpoint - the idea is that if OP writes this paper, his buddy gets a "free pass". This is unfair to everyone else who didn't get that free pass and had to spend their valuable time / resources getting it done.


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No "free pass" here. He's paying for it. Even if he wasn't, he'd either owe his friend a big favor afterwards, or be calling in a favor that his friend already owed to him. The paper just won't get written if the kid doesn't spend some reasources. Whether he chooses to spend his time, or his money, or "credit" is a purely personal decision.

Also, I highly doubt any of his classmates will be rejected from grad school or forced to take a worse job because of this.

[Oski]

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I don't see why an "academic environment" deserves special treatment. I agree that taking credit for someone else's work without their permission is a little unethical. But here, the person doing the work doesn't want credit, he just wants a couple hundred bucks. It's not like the futures of everyone in the class will be altered if the kid gets an 86 on the paper instead of a 74 or whatever.

[/ QUOTE ]

From a real-world standpoint what you're saying makes sense. I think often times ethics applied to real world situations underscores the stupidity of holding fast to certain ideals, without exception or flexibility.

But from a pure ethical standpoint - the idea is that if OP writes this paper, his buddy gets a "free pass". This is unfair to everyone else who didn't get that free pass and had to spend their valuable time / resources getting it done.

Assuming OP's buddy gets a higher grade than he would've if OP didn't write the paper - this is also unfair to others, because we have to assume OP's buddy is in direct competition with other students for jobs, grad school whatever.


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I cannot agree. The op is hired to write a paper. Nothing improper happens until the "student" attempts to pass it off as his own work. That aspect of the transaction is between the student and his institution.

Now, if the op belonged to that institution, he may have agreed to follow a moral code, or code of ethics associated with the school.

That would be another issue, however.

Your concern is more of a moral question, not a question of ethics.

Thanks for your responses. My question is whether or not It's okay for me not to do the paper at this point. I realized that I had made a mistake in agreeing to do this and I wanted to reneg from the agreement and help my friend out. Backstory here is that I did this for him in April, when he was too busy playing p#$#r to write the paper and I had no cash. Nowadays, I am doing well in p#%#r and he has less money. As I said, I am willing to help him with the paper anyways for free. So is it ok for me to back out of writing the paper?

[mmcd]

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Thanks for your responses. My question is whether or not It's okay for me not to do the paper at this point. I realized that I had made a mistake in agreeing to do this and I wanted to reneg from the agreement and help my friend out. Backstory here is that I did this for him in April, when he was too busy playing p#$#r to write the paper and I had no cash. Nowadays, I am doing well in p#%#r and he has less money. As I said, I am willing to help him with the paper anyways for free. So is it ok for me to back out of writing the paper?

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Tell him you'll do it, but make it clear to him that he will get what he pays for. If he won't agree on a higher price, just take 2 hours and throw something together.


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I see your point but he is my friend. I don't feel that terrible about not doing out, but I would feel bad abouut giving him a really crappy paper and just screwing him.

[wdcbooks]

I did this once for my very wealthy and very stupid Kuwaiti roommate in college. First, I have always regretted it and felt like an ass for agreeing to cheat. Second, I got $200 for it and that was in 1992. If you are going to sell your honor at least make decent coin for it.

[Blarg]

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knowingly writing a paper which your friend will turn in under his name is grossly unethical

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Nope. Kidnapping, torturing and killing an innocent child is grossly unethical. This is neither here nor there. I don't understand why some people insist on making a big deal out of the stupidest most inconsequential things.

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This argument strikes me as clearly no better in any way than what it argues against.

[Blarg]

I agree that the $125 is dirt cheap. A really good paper can take quite a few hours to put together and type up.

However, once you accept the deal, especially once your friend got the idea submitted and approved by the professor, and it was YOUR idea, not one he mapped out for you, you really do owe him the completion of the paper. And without any further aggravation.

Next time, if there is a next time, think about the hours and if it's really a high enough hourly rate.