The Ethical Dilemma & Paradigms of Moral Dilemma

Before I get on with this Topic, there are a few more Ethical Frameworks that are worthy of being brought up and discussed first!

(And as always, the text from the book will be colored maroon.)

There’s

Bell South’s Ethics Test

1.Is the action LEGAL?

2.Does it comply with our VALUES?

3.If I do it, will I feel BAD?

4.How will this look in tomorrow morning’s NEWSPAPER?

5.Since I know this is WRONG, I shouldn’t do it!

6.Since I’m not sure, I should ASK someone!

7.I should keep asking until I get an ANSWER!

And the:

Ethical Decision Making Process

1.Determine the facts

2.Identify the ethical issues involved

3.Identify stakeholders and consider the situation from their point of view

4.Consider the available alternatives – also called “moral imagination”

5.Consider how a decision affects stakeholders, comparing and weighing the alternatives, based on:

-Consequences

-Duties, rights, principles

-Justice and Fairness

-Ethics of Care

-Virtue

6.Make a decision

7.Monitor and learn from the outcomes

The case of the iPad

Image

Think quick! You see an iPad in the classroom (if you indeed are still a student. If not… just use your imagination) after a class ends. What do you do? I’ll give you three general options to choose from just to rile up your imagination. Do you:

1.Bring the iPad to the lost and found so that the owner can retrieve it

2.Leave the iPad there for either the owner or someone else to get it

3.Keep the iPad for yourself to do what you will with it

Now you can apply either Bell South’s Ethics Test or use the Ethical Decision Making Process to decide what to do (Or use that nifty Ethical Decision Making Tree found in the previous COSORES blog entry.). Again, the underlying explanation behind any kind of behavior would be the values that an individual chooses to uphold. Depending on one’s values, the ethical frameworks would be used differently, and will result in different outcomes for its users.

Let’s see...