Ch. 1 Sec 1-7 and 1-8
- 1. Sec 1-8: A Model for Ethical Decision Making
- 2. Making a responsible decision requires: 1. Begin with a fair and accurate understanding of the situation Know the facts: issues involve complicated and emotionally charge situations, uncovering the facts and attaining an unbiased and complete understanding can be difficult 2. Identify the ethical issues at stake Not uncommon to disagree over whether or not a particular case is an ethical case 3. Identify the people affected by the situation and understand how they might be affected (How will they be harmed or benefited?, Who are the stakeholders in a decision?, What will the likely consequences be? What is owed by various stakeholders?)
- 3. 4. Alternative courses of action. What choices are available? ( Put yourself in another person’s position and imagine how the situation would appear, how it would feel, form his or her perspective. Use “moral imagination” to explore choices and values”.) 5. Employ “New York Times Test”: What would be the public reaction if your decision was presented in full detail on the front page of the New York Times. (Is your decision one that you would be willing to explain and defend openly, or is it a decision that you would just as soon kept quiet? Transparency is often a good test for responsible decision making.) 6. Make a decision ( after understanding the facts, considering all stake holders, and thinking about alternatives, choose a course of action.)
- 4. A responsible ethical decision involves: • Understanding the facts • Identifying the ethical issues involved • Identifying all stakeholders • Understanding how those stakeholders will be affected • Employing moral imagination to understand alternatives • Considering how others will judge your decision • Making a decision and monitoring and learning from the results