1. Chapter 1 Understanding Ethics
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2. What is Ethics?
Manner by which we try to live our lives according to a standard of right or wrong behaviors
In both how we think and behave toward others and how we would like them to think and behave toward us

3. What is Ethics? Factors that influence the morality of ethics
How one was raised
One’s religion
Traditions and beliefs in one’s society
Society: Structured community of people bound together by similar traditions and customs

4. Understanding Right and Wrong
Moral standards - Principles by which judgments are made about good and bad behavior that are based on:
Religion
Culture: Particular set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices that characterize a group of individuals
Philosophical beliefs

5. Understanding Right and Wrong
Sources of beliefs
Family and friends
Ethnic background
Religion
School
Media
Personal role models and mentors
Morality - Collection of influences built over a person’s lifetime

6. How Should I Live?
Morals and values - Set of personal principles by which you aim to live your life
Value system: Set of personal principles formalized into a code of behavior

7. The Value of a Value
Intrinsic values: Quality by which a value is a good thing in itself and is pursued for its own sake, whether anything comes from that pursuit or not
Instrumental values: Quality by which the pursuit of one value is a good way to reach another value

8. Value Conflicts
Impact of a person’s or a group’s value system can be seen in the extent to which their daily lives are influenced by those values
Conflicts occur when one is presented with a situation that places those values in direct conflict with an action
Personal value system - Specific choices and responses to a situation by an individual

9. Doing the Right Thing
Categories under which individuals classify ethics
Simple truth
Question of someone’s personal character
Rules of appropriate individual behavior
Rules of appropriate behavior for a community or society

10. The Golden Rule Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
Problem with the rule is the assumption that others would follow the same principles as you do
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

11. Ethical Theories
Virtue ethics: Concept of living your life according to a commitment to the achievement of a clear ideal
Criticism - Societies can place different emphasis on different virtues
Utilitarianism: Ethical choices that offer the greatest good for the greatest number of people
Criticism - Idea that the ends justify the means

12. Ethical Theories
Universal ethics: Actions that are taken out of duty and obligation to a purely moral ideal rather than based on the needs of the situation
Universal principles are seen to apply to everyone, everywhere, all the time
Criticism - Reverse of the weakness in ethics for the greater good

13. Ethical Relativism
Concept that the traditions of your society, your personal opinions, and the circumstances of the present moment define your ethical principles
Implies some degree of flexibility as opposed to strict
Offers the comfort of being a part of the ethical majority in the community or society

14. Ethical Dilemmas
Situation in which there is no obvious right or wrong decision rather a right or right answer
Dilemmas occur when the decision you must make requires you to make a right choice knowing full well that you are:
Leaving an equally right choice undone

15. Ethical Dilemmas
Likely to suffer something bad as a result of that choice
Contradicting a personal ethical principle in making that choice
Abandoning an ethical value of your community or society in making that choice

16. Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Sleep-test ethics
Ethics of intuition
Should rely on our personal insights, feelings, and instincts when we face a difficult problem
Process for solving an ethical problem
Analyze the consequences
Analyze the actions
Make a decision

17. Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Arthur Dobrin’s questions
What are the facts?
What can you guess about the facts you don’t know?
What do the facts mean?
What does the problem look like through the eyes of the people involved?

18. Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
What will happen if you choose one thing rather than another?
What do your feelings tell you?
What will you think of yourself if you decide one thing or another?
Can you explain and justify your decision to others?

19. Ethical Reasoning
Looking at the information available in resolving an ethical dilemma drawing conclusions based on that information in relation to our own ethical standards

20. Figure 1.1 - Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stages of Ethical Reasoning