D3-1 ETHIC

Additional Readings

Ethical Principles

 

Kidder, R.M. (1995). How good people make tough choices. New York, NY: William Morrow Company, Inc.

 

The following Ethical Principles provide various principles useful for examining ethical dilemmas. 

 

1. Justice vs. Mercy:

 

· Justice relies on the legal system and its laws for guidance in solving ethical dilemmas.

· Mercy refers to dealing with a situation quietly – keeping it internal and displaying compassion for the individuals.

 

2. Truth and Loyalty

 

· If you know the truth, do you tell it when you have promised someone you won’t divulge that information?  This

Dilemma summarizes the truth and loyalty ethical principle.

 

3. Short-Term vs. Long-Term Benefits

 

· This refers to considering the implications of making short term decisions that meet the needs of the organization or considering long-term changes that impact the organization’s mission, vision, or strategic plan.

 

4. Self- vs. Community

           

· This refers to situations involving an individual verses a local community, or society.

           

5. Ends-Based Resolution

 

· This principle refers to examining a situation from the perspective of the greatest good for the greatest number of people. 

· It demands a kind of cost-benefit analysis, determining who would be hurt or helped and measuring the intensity of that help. 

· Probable futures need to be speculated upon.

· Most legislation is crafted with this in mind.

 

6. Rules-Based

 

· This is the opposite of ends-based: a choice is made according to existing rules. 

· A person who believes in a rules-based solution would think, “How would we ever know the entire consequences of our actions?  We need to make a decision according to what we know now.  I’m going to stick to my principles.”

· This is based on what we ought to do rather than what we think might work.

 

7. Care-Based

 

· This principle comes into play with the Golden Rule: Do to others what you would like them to do to you. 

· Test your actions by putting yourself in another’s shoes and imagine how it would feel if you were the recipient, rather than the executor, of your actions.

· This principle puts love for others first.