1. Introduction to Ethics
Definitions, moral theories
and principles
Presented by Dr. Paul Voakes
at CSMA Winter Thaw 2017

2. What is Ethics, anyway? Three serviceable definitions
(New Oxford American) “Moral principles that govern a person’s or group’s behavior”
(Random House): “study dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness or wrongness of certain actions And the motives and ends of such actions.”
Paul Voakes: The process of making rational choices between what is morally justifiable and unjustifiable

3. What Ethics Isn’t It’s not intuitive – it’s deliberate, rational
Good ethical decisions are based on evidence-based reasoning, not gut feelings
We try to ‘do’ ethics, not ‘have’ ethics
A code of ethics is NOT a legal code

4. What Ethics Isn’t Ethics is not the same as ‘morals’
Morality: a set of beliefs one embraces, to provide the basis for right/wrong, good/bad distinctions
Ethics brings morality into real-life dilemmas*, concluding with ‘what ought to be done’
*Why are they dilemmas? Because two or more moral values are in conflict

5. So, what’s the correct answer?
Usually, multiple justifiable decisions
Let’s teach tools for ethical reasoning, not simply do’s and don’t’s
Each situation is different, to be sure
But our system of thinking about ‘doing the right thing’ should be consistent
And beyond journalism: It doesn’t hurt to be able to apply the tools to ‘teen life’

6. Let’s not confuse Law and Ethics
Rights, requirements, prohibitions that are enforceable by government
‘Must,’ ‘must not,’ ‘can,’ ‘cannot . . .’

7. Let’s not confuse Law and Ethics
Seeking morally justifiable behaviors
‘Ought,’ ‘ought not’
In an ethical dilemma, don’t stop once you’ve discovered what the law says
‘It’s OK legally, but is it ethical?’

8. Why moral principles?
Certain principles have withstood decades – centuries – of scrutiny
Principles underlie – and help justify – the ethical decisions we must make
Principles provide continuity
In one person’s job
Throughout one person’s life
Through an organization’s life
Throughout a culture or society

9. The great moral theories: Deontology
The Categorical Imperative
Immanuel Kant
Embrace any moral rule that should be applied universally
A moral rule NOT subject to conditions or special circumstances (examples?)
And human beings are never treated as a means to an end, but as the “end,” in and of themselves

10. Deontology, cont’d. Deontologists have ‘duties’
Strict duties (prohibitions)
Meritorious duties (positive acts)
Even consequences are irrelevant!
Categorical imperatives for journalism?
Advantages of deontology
A code of ethics! But . . .
Disadvantages of deontology

11. Utilitarianism A strain of Consequentialis
Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill
Focuses not on the act itself, but on the likely results of the act
Goal: Result produces the ‘aggregate good’ – the greatest good for the greatest number
And yes, occasionally some must be harmed in order to benefit the many
The important converse: Minimize the harm to those who will probably be harmed

12. Utilitarianism cont’d.
Hedonism: Is everybody happy?
‘Pleasure’ now taken to mean high-order ‘goods: Freedom, justice, knowledge, prosperity
Act Utilitarianism: Stop to analyze likely outcomes of each decision
Utilitarianism is fundamentally more democratic

13. Utilitarianism, cont’d.
So how does it work? (back to lying, Robin Hood)
For Journalism: The sharing of important information is a commonly-invoked ‘greater good’
Advantages? (Crystal Ball’? Judge the intentions of my greater-good forecasting, not the accuracy!)
Disadvantages? (The Crystal Ball again!)

14. Hybrids of these two? Mixed-rule deontology
(e.g. Lying to protect? Robin Hood thievery?)
Rule Utilitarianism: Know that certain acts tend to consistently produce desirable outcomes

15. A third tried-and-true approach
Aristotle’s Golden Mean
Virtue lies in the ‘moderate middle’ between excess and deficiency
Between stinginess and wastefulness?
Between cowardice and foolhardiness?
Between bashfulness and shamelessness?