Ethical Theories and Decision-Making

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Flashcards on Ethical Theories and Decision-Making

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42 Terms

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Kantian Deontological Ethics (Duty Ethics)

Morality grounded in duty, not consequences; act only on principles everyone could follow; treat individuals as ends, not means.

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Act Utilitarianism

Morality based on consequences of individual actions; seek greatest happiness or least suffering for most people, even if actions seem questionable; evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

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Rule Utilitarianism

Morality based on long-term outcomes of following general rules; rules are moral if widespread use benefits society overall; balances stability with utilitarian flexibility.

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Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics

Ethics grounded in character and habitual practice of virtues (honesty, courage, compassion); flourishing life through virtue; Practical wisdom guides actions.

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Situational Ethics

Morality depends on the specific context; emphasizes love, compassion, and practical benefit; flexible but criticized for lack of consistency.

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Contractarianism

Morality arises from social contracts for mutual benefit; based on rational self-interest and cooperation; can exclude outsiders.

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Contractualism

Moral rules must be acceptable to all affected parties; emphasizes fairness, equality, and hypothetical agreement.

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Communitarianism

Ethics rooted in community, relationships, shared values, and cultural traditions; balances personal rights with collective well-being.

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Cosmopolitanism

Moral obligations extend beyond nations and cultures; supports universal human rights, global justice, cooperation, and inclusivity.

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Egoism

Self-interest as the basis of morality; personal benefit as the ultimate value, which may indirectly help others.

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Net, Net Consequences

Weigh short- and long-term, intended and unintended consequences.

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Core Obligations

Duties to law, profession, personal commitments, and organizational mission.

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What will work in the world as it is?

Balance ideals with feasibility; be realistic and practical.

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Who are we?

Ethics reflect personal identity, culture, community, and relationships.

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What can I live with?

Personal integrity, be able to accept and live with the decision.

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Core Premise of Ethics

Universal principles require critical thinking and intellectual discipline.

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Universal Ethical Standards

Do no harm, respect autonomy, be honest, act justly, keep promises, and care for others.

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Human Fallibility

Egocentrism, sociocentrism, self-deception, rationalization, and oversimplification.

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Intrinsic Egocentrism

Self-centered natural bias.

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Disciplined Ethical Reasoning

Self-reflection, consideration of others, objective standards.

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Intellectual Standards

Clarity, accuracy, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, fairness.

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Egocentric Memory

Selective recall for self-interest.

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Egocentric Myopia

Short-term focus.

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Egocentric Righteousness

Moral superiority.

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Egocentric Hypocrisy

Double standards.

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Ethical Self-Knowledge

Integrity, humility, self-awareness, questioning biases.

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Ethical Leadership

Managing complexity and competing values.

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View from the Balcony

Periodically step back for a broader perspective.

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Silo Mentality

Lack of communication across groups, reducing ethical awareness.

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Groupthink

Desire for harmony suppresses dissent; leads to poor decisions.

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Bystander Effect

People fail to act due to diffusion of responsibility.

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Ethical Leadership

Acting based on fairness, justice, honesty, and universal principles.

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Wicked Problem

Complex, evolving problems without clear solutions.

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Clumsy Solution

Blended, adaptive solutions combining multiple perspectives.

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Core Obligations

Prioritizing legal, professional, personal, and societal responsibilities.

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Instinctual

Gut reactions; may need to be overridden by ethical reasoning.

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Historical Precedence

Using past events as guidance; must reflect critically.

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Theory

Ethical frameworks (Utilitarianism, Kantianism, Virtue Ethics, etc.).

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The Bathsheba Syndrome

Ethical failures often happen at peak success; causes: complacency, privilege, unrestrained control, inflated self-belief; prevention: humility, work-life balance, vigilance, ethical teams.

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Tame Problems

Straightforward, managerial solutions.

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Wicked Problems

Complex, persistent, interconnected.

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Clumsy Solutions

Combine hierarchical, egalitarian, and individualistic approaches.