Ethical Considerations

1. Ethical Considerations

2. Ethics • What do we mean by “ethics” or “unethical”? • Motivations to behave unethically: • Personal gain, especially power • Competition • Restoration of justice or fairness • What is “fairness?”

3. Some Ways to Behave Unethically • Selective disclosure &/or misrepresentation to others • Deception • False threats or false promises • Provide false information (lie) • Inflict intentional harm on the other party • Selective disclosure or misrepresentation to constituencies

5. Ethical Decisions Have Complexity • Multiple alternatives • Broad & long-range consequences • Uncertain consequences • Mixture of economic, legal, ethical, social, and personal benefits and costs

7. Some Ethical Systems • Eternal law: "capital-T truth" • Ethical Egoism: seek self-interests & promote greatest balance of good over bad for self, with ethical constraints • Utilitarianism: greatest good for the greatest number, or maximize the social benefit function • Universalism (Categorical imperative): would I be willing to make the basis for my action a general law binding everyone, given similar circumstances? • Enlightened self-interest: self-interest rightly understood, with long-term perspective or judging from my deathbed • Ethics of interdependence: interdependence between individuals is fundamental; be willing to compromise to help the other side achieve goals

8. Some Ethical Introspections • Is it right? • Is it fair? • How does it smell? • Who benefits and who gets hurt? • What if details were made public? • What would you tell your child to do? • What if everyone did this?

10. Consider • Learning from your mistakes • Look in the mirror & see how you like what you see • Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and see how they see you • However, don’t be naive

11. Exercise • Individually, consider each of the Scenarios, one at a time: • Write your decision • Write your reasoning • In small groups, discuss reasoning for each Scenario, one at a time

12. Kohlberg Stages of Moral Development • Stage 1: Obedience and Punishment (e.g., I won't hit him because he may hit me back.) • Stage 2: Individual Instrumental Purpose and Exchange (I will help her so she will help me in exchange.) • Stage 3: "Good Boy/Girl" (I will go along with you because I want you/people to like me.) • Stage 4: Law and Order (I will follow the rule/order because it is wrong not to.) • Stage 5: Valuing Rights of Others plus Social Rights and Responsibilities (Although I disagree with his views, I support his right to have them.) • Stage 6: Individual Principles of Conscience Grounded in Universal Ethical Principles (There is no external force that can compel me to do an act that I consider morally wrong.)

13. Heinz’s Reasoning re Stealing the Drug

14. Heinz’s Reasoning (cont.)

15. Reasoning from 693 class: stealing drug

16. Reasoning from classes: stealing drug

17. Reasoning from 693 class: stealing drugOfficer telling

18. Reasoning from classes: stealing drugOfficer telling

19. Reasoning from 693 class: stealing drugOfficer telling, Jail Time

20. Reasoning from classes: stealing drugOfficer telling, Jail Time

21. The Insufficiency of Honesty*/honesty.doc • Honesty: refusal to steal, lie, or deceive in any way • Integrity: trustworthiness & incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust or responsibility

22. Integrity • Honesty is necessary, but not sufficient The most important thing in acting is honesty; once you learn to fake that, you’re in. - Sam Goldwyn

23. Integrity • Honesty • Discerning • Examining beliefs & assumptions • Searching for "truth," avoiding error • Allowing others the same • Acting on what you have discerned • Even at personal cost • Saying openly that you are acting re the above • Fulfilling moral obligations • Do no harm to others • Not just the minimum