Variables for Moral Intensity (9)

Question 1

Magnitude of Consequences

Answer 1

Sum of harms (or benefits) done to victims (or beneficiaries) of the moral act in question

Example- An act that causes 1,000 people to suffer an injury is of greater magnitude than an act that causes 10 people to suffer the same injury

Question 2

Social Consensus

Answer 2

The degree of social agreement that a proposed act is evil (or good)

Example- The evil involved in bribing a customs official in Texas has greater social consensus than the evil involved in bribing a customs official in Mexico

Question 3

Probability of Effect

Answer 3

The probability that the act in question will actually take place and the act in question will actually cause the harm (benefit) predicted

Example- Producing a vehicle that would be dangerous to occupants during routine driving maneuvers has greater probability of harm than producing a vehicle that endangers occupants only during rear-end collisions

Question 4

Temporal Immediacy

Answer 4

The length of time between the present and the onset of consequences of the moral act in question

Example- Reducing the retirement benefits of current retirees has greater temporal immediacy than reducing retirement benefits of employees who are currently between 40 and 50 years of age

Question 5

Proximity

Answer 5

he feeling of nearness that the moral agent has for victims (beneficiaries) of the evil (beneficial) act in question

Example- Layoffs in a person’s work unit have greater moral proximity (physical and psychological) than do layoffs in a remote plant

Question 6

Concentration of Effect

Answer 6

An inverse function of the number of people affected by an act of given magnitude

Example- A change in a warranty policy denying coverage to 10 people with claims of $10,000 has a more concentrated effect than a change denying coverage to 10,000 people with claims of $10