Similarities Between Whistleblowers And Traitors

Although whistleblowers and traitors do have some similarities; the differences far outweigh the similarities. For example, a whistleblower is a person whom, when releasing information, does it from a desire to correct an unethical practice. Whistleblowing is not motivated by a desire for revenge or self-gain; but from the person’s ethics. However, a traitor releases information with the intent and desire to hurt or gain something from the negative effect of the action. If ethics is a influence for a traitor, it is only a secondary rather than a primary reason to release information. The moral obligation of a whistleblower is to attempt to fix the unethical practice internally before releasing information to the public. By doing this, the whistleblower is giving the institution a chance to change. He or she also, as was discussed previously, act from a desire to fix the problem with the least amount of damage. Yet, the whistleblower’s making the information public is dependent upon the quality information and circumstances. Yet the employer also possesses moral obligations, such as the need to listen to and apply the employees’ concerns with the company’s ethics and to independently promote good ethics from the top

Unfortunately, one is relying on their own view of a good person truly is, and by doing so, may not become moral. This can be related to the issue of whistleblowing because it has an effect on what people see as right and wrong, and in the case of virtue ethics, what other people have done in the same situation. For example, if I believe that humans should not have any secrets from each other, based on my moral role model or personal opinion, I should share all sensitive information with the world since secrets are