Ethics

Watch the movie Crash 

APPLY THE MORAL CHECKLIST TO THE DILEMMA:

The moral checklist presents a structured way to analyze a difficult moral case. You are asked to apply this checklist to the case study. You should present each part of this checklist as a heading followed by your explanation.

1. Determine all of the facts the case. Who are the interested parties and what are their relationships? Carefully identify who has a stake in the decision. Often there are more parties whose interests should be considered than is immediately obvious. What is at stake for each? Look at the relationships between the parties. Do these relationships bring special expectations or obligations. (10pts)

2. Identify the moral concerns/values or the moral issue. Important clues include conflicts between two or more values or ideals. Is there a question of trust? fairness? loyalty? harm?, etc. (There is something uncomfortable, what is it? What are the conflicting concerns?) (20pts)

3. Attempt to rank the importance of these concerns or values from lowest in importance to highest in importance for each party involved. Weight the benefits and burdens. (15pts)

4. What are your options for resolution? What decisions can be made? (elaborate) (5pts)

5. Rank the benefits and associated costs (consequences) of each possible decision. (5pts)

6. Test each option for resolution. Does it pass the:

a. HARM test? (Does it do less harm than the alternative? Minimize harm?) What are the unintended consequences of each option? – to individuals, communities, society? (5pts)

b. PUBLICITY test? (Would you want your choice (decision) published? Is the decision something you would be comfortable telling your family about? Would you want children to take your behavior as an example?) (5pts)

c. REVERSIBILITY TEST? (Would I still think this is good if I were that person or those people negatively impacted by it?) (5pts)

d. PROFESSIONAL test? (What are the professional expectations? What would my colleagues do—workplace norms? What does the code of ethics require?) (5pts)

7. Make a decision. Choose what you believe is the best option for resolving the dilemma. (5pts)

8. Why did you make this decision. Reason out a justification. What is your defense? Here you refer back to the moral concerns and values that drove your decision. Make this a step-by-step defense.  What rules did you appeal to in resolving the dilemma? (20pts)