essay on ethical business
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MGMT20134-Justification.pptMGMT20134
Business Ethics and Sustainability
Ethical Decision Making 2: Jusification
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Justifying moral judgments
Justification of decisions has to do with providing some basis for our moral prescriptions so that others can examine what we prescribe or be persuaded or convinced that what we say has merit and deserves consideration.
The goal of justification is to provide such a convincing argument in support of certain normative principles that people will actually change their behaviour- to conform with these prescription
(Buchholz, 1989)
How can moral judgments be Justified?
Decisions can be justified in two ways
1. Internally : utilisation of the principles which are appropriate within an ethical theory
2. Externally: appeals to the non-rational or the unchallengeable
(Buchholz, 1989)
Internal Justification
- From accepted ethical theories, moral principles can be derived that support the development of moral rules. These rules indicate the actions that ought or ought not be performed.
- Successful justification occurs when there is successful grounding of an action in a standard that is independent on the action itself
- An internal justification system has to assume the legitimacy of the next higher level- a fundamental principle of morality
(Buchholz, 1989)
Internal Justification
(Buchholz, 1989)
Ethical Theory
(Governs the institution or system of thought)
Rule
(Internal to the institution or system of thought)
Principle
(Internal to the institution or system of thought)
Judgment
(Needing Justification)
External Justification
External justification deals with justifying an entire system of moral beliefs and reasoning.
An appeal to an internal system is seen as an insufficient principle of morality
In effect it attempts to vindicate the entire set of rules and principles that are unique to that the system of thought
(Buchholz, 1989)
External Justification: Moral or Natural Law
- Morally consists of accepting the basic set of rules and moral principles that govern the universe.
- Belief in a fundamental natural order of things
- This system is analogous to the physical sciences which proceeds on the basis of empirical investigation to discover the physical laws that govern the universe.
- (Buchholz, 1989)
External Justification: Reason
- Morally consists of acting rationally .
- All human beings are fundamentally the same thus can be rational.
- Task of reason is to find those universal moral principles which would be agreed to by all rational beings.
- (Buchholz, 1989)
External Justification: Special Revelation
- Ultimate truth is revealed by an external force or deity
- Normative rules are recorded in a document-Scripture.
- Religion interprets Scriptures and restate these in modern categories so that relevance is maintained.
- (Buchholz, 1989)
External Justification: Social Contract
- Assumption that anarchy is undesirable, thus people agree to a minimum set of rules to preserve social interaction.
- (Buchholz, 1989)
External Justification: Moral Authority
- Assumption that society has a recognized authority who is right.
- Closely linked to revelation as often these are religious figures or crusaders. eg the Pope/ Dalai Lama/ Rabbis, etc
- More recently popular figures have also been seen in a semi moral authority light
- (Buchholz, 1989)
External Justification: Power
- "Might makes right!"
- Suggests that morality is determined and forced upon individuals by those who possess strength or can command loyalty.
- There is some link to concept of natural law- survival of the fittest.
External Justification: Intuition
- Ethical concepts such as good, right and bad cannot be known through empirical means but rather through intuition.
- Value judgments about right and wrong are known to "right thinking" people.
External Justification: Culture
Also known as cultural relativism, this proposes that different cultures have a series of fundamental moral principles and values.
- These are often found in constitutions, religious and secular literature etc.
External Justification: Procedural Justification
- Based on the notion that if proper procedures are followed in arriving at a moral judgment, then it is justified.
- Thus clarity, information, rationality, impartiality level headedness etc must be present
