Making Ethical Decisions Michael Josephson Flashcards
What is required for effective ethical decision-making?
Ethical sensitivity, evaluation of complex facts, implementation skills, and a reliable framework of principles
A framework such as the Six Pillars of Character can guide ethical decisions.
Define ethics.
Principles that define behavior as right, good, and proper
Ethics provide a means of evaluating and deciding among competing options.
How do ethics and values differ?
Ethics concerns how a moral person should behave; values are inner judgments determining actual behavior
Not all values pertain to ethics; for example, the desire for health is a value but not an ethical value.
What is the importance of universality in ethical decision-making?
Convictions about right and wrong often stem from non-universal sources like religion, culture, and personal experiences
These sources, while important, do not provide a consistent basis for making ethical decisions.
Fill in the blank: Ethical decision-making requires a framework of principles that are _______.
[reliable]
What challenges do people face when making ethical decisions?
Economic, professional, and social pressures that obscure moral issues
Additionally, a lack of knowledge about crucial facts can complicate decision-making.
True or False: Values always relate to ethics.
False
Most values, such as the desire for wealth, do not pertain to ethics.
List the components necessary for ethical decision-making.
- Ethical sensitivity
- Evaluation of complex facts
- Implementation skills
- Reliable framework of principles
What role does a person’s background play in their ethical convictions?
It shapes their beliefs about right and wrong
Factors include religious beliefs, cultural roots, family background, personal experiences, and laws.
What are the consensus ethical values mentioned?
Trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, citizenship
How do personal and professional beliefs vary?
They vary over time, among cultures, and among members of the same society
What is meant by ‘moral imperialists’?
Individuals who seek to impose their personal moral judgments on others
What does the universal ethical value of respect for others dictate?
Honoring the dignity and autonomy of each person and cautions against self-righteousness
What determines how we will behave in certain situations?
Our value system, which ranks our likes and dislikes
What are core values?
Values we consistently rank higher than others that define character and personality
Fill in the blank: Ethical principles are the rules of conduct that derive from _______.
[ethical values]
What is an example of a principle derived from the value of honesty?
Tell the truth, don’t deceive, be candid, don’t cheat
What is the relationship between ethics and action?
Ethics is about putting principles into action
What does integrity involve?
Consistency between what we say we value and what our actions say we value
What does self-restraint in ethics mean?
Not doing what you have the power to do or the right to do when it is not right
True or False: An act is proper simply because it is permissible.
False
What is the difference between what you have the right to do and what is right to do?
There is a significant difference; not all rights align with ethical correctness
What is an ethical person’s typical choice regarding the law?
An ethical person often chooses to do more than the law requires and less than the law allows.
What is one inner benefit of being ethical?
Virtue is its own reward.
What is a personal advantage of being ethical?
It’s prudent to be ethical. It’s good business.
How does being ethical affect self-esteem?
Being ethical leads to self-esteem, the admiration of loved ones, and the respect of peers.
What role does religion play in ethical behavior?
Good behavior can please or help serve a deity.
How can upbringing influence ethical actions?
Ethical actions can fit in with upbringing or training.
What is the ethics of self-interest?
When the motivation for ethical behavior is self-interest, decision-making is reduced to risk-reward calculations.
What happens when risks from ethical behavior are high?
Moral principles succumb to expediency.
What common unethical behaviors do people engage in?
- Cheating on exams
- Lying on resumes
- Distorting or falsifying facts at work
What is the real test of our ethics?
Whether we are willing to do the right thing even when it is not in our self-interest.
What concept did Enlightenment philosophers and the American Founding Fathers enshrine?
The pursuit of happiness as a basic right of free men.
Is the pursuit of happiness a moral end in itself?
It depends on how one defines happiness.
What influences our definition of happiness?
Our values, what we prize and desire.
What often results from pursuing only material goals?
A lonely, disconnected, meaningless existence.
What do morally mature individuals find happiness in?
Honoring universal ethical values.
What is the foundation for real happiness?
The unity between principled belief and honorable behavior.
Fill in the blank: Ethical actions can fit in with _______.
[upbringing or training]
