In Search of an Ethical Roadmap

Samantha Neave explores how to be a good person, with the help of Immanuel Kant and the Tooth Fairy.

- Samantha Neave

Last night I dreamt I promised my niece a ride on a skipping giraffe. Sadly, when it came to the crunch, my car broke down halfway round the safari due to some gorillas landing on the bonnet, breaking off both wing mirrors, and generally getting in the way of Poppy opening the door and making a break for the giraffe enclosure. (Plus I had the child lock on.) So, upon our return, she demanded sweets as compensation for her ruined trip. I told her too many sweets would rot her teeth and they'd all fall out. When she started crying, I tried consoling her that that would mean a lot of money from the Tooth Fairy-but to no avail. Then one of her wobbly teeth actually dropped out while she was eating dinner, and she asked me if the Tooth Fairy deals in Bitcoins instead of leaving a measly pound coin? I told her the Tooth Fairy died suddenly and unexpectedly half an hour ago. She ran screaming to her mum. Shortly after, I was informed that I am 'a terrible person'.

When I awoke from my nightmare, those words echoed in my head and got me thinking... why? Was it one word, one action, or more that led to that judgement? Is being a terrible person a life sentence? And is telling a little girl that the Tooth Fairy needs a new tomb stone necessarily a heinous act? More to the point what is a good person? Are good people composed of morally good intentions, or actions? If so, I would like to know. It might give me a kind of ethical roadmap to follow.