NVSC 402 Midterm

Ethics

A set of moral principles

A theory or system of moral values

The principle of conduct governing an individual or a group

Morals

Of or relating to principles of right or wrong in behavior

Cultural Narrative Purpose

Stories we tell to establish Meaning, Coherence, and Trust

A form of communication that arranges human actions and events into organized wholes that bestows meaning on actions and events by specifying their interactive or cause and effect relations to the whole.

Narratives provide coherence, they make the world make sense, and they allow for trust to exist at the macro level

Cultural Narrative Downsides

Hard to change , justifies actions

We stop looking for new information if it contradicts our current narrative

They help us identify who we are and so turn it into “us vs. them”

Inner Rings

An exclusive group that is characterized by a deeper sense of belonging. Membership must be desirable.

What will you do/say to join/maintain membership within the ring?

Value

What you want your life to be about

Those things that matter most to you

Something (a principle or quality) that is intrinsically valuable

What 4 things influence morals and ethics?

Cultural Narratives

Social and Professional Ambition

Rationalization and Socializaton

Personal Integrity

Integrity

Firm adherence to a code of moral or artistic values

The quality or state of being complete and undivided

Inner consistency between deed and principle

Cognitive Dissonance

The psychological stress that occurs when a person’s behavior and beliefs do not align or they hold two contradictory beliefs

High Ground Reconciliation

Action changes to align with self-concept

Low Ground Reconciliation

Self-concept changes to align with action

Rationalization

The redefinition and justification of unethical behavior, such that the perpetrator believes they have made an ethical decision.

Rationalization Types (6)

Denial of Responsibility

Denial of Injury

Denial of Victim

Social Weighting

Balancing the Ledger

Appeal to higher authority

Denial of Responsibility

“I had no choice”

Denial of Injury

“No one was harmed”

Denial of Victim

“They deserved it”

Social Weighting

“You have no right to criticize us, others are worse”

Balancing the Ledger

“We’ve earned the right”

Appeal to a Higher Authority

“We answer to a more important cause”

Socialization

The process by which newcomers are conditioned to view unethical behavior as normal

Socialization Strategies

Co-optation

Incrementalism

Compromise

Co-optation

Reward the desired unethical behavior

Incrementalism

Gradually introduce unethical behavior

Compromise

Get to yes the only way possible

Test of Integrity

Difficult choice between right and wrong

Moral Dilemma

Difficult Choice between two rights

Moral Deliberation Roadmap

1. Constraints

2. Consequences

3. Special Obligations

4. Character

Uses of Moral Deliberation Roadmap

A way to think about what goes into ethical decisions

A way to slow down and gain multiple perspectives

Constraints

Dignity: The quality or state of being worthy, honored or esteemed; the unearned worth or status that all humans share equally

Equality: Recognizing that all humans have the same value

Autonomy: Self-directing freedom and moral independence

Rights: the power or privilege one is entitled to; Expressions of autonomy in specific areas of thought, speech, or action

Universalization Test (Kant)

For you to do something, it must be acceptable for everyone everywhere to do the same thing and it still be a viable plan of action

Mere Means Test (Kant)

A person cannot be treated only as a tool to achieve your ends without their consent

Waiver of Rights

An individual consents to an action that would otherwise violate a right

Scope and Duration of Waiver are defined

Forfeiture of Rights

An individual involuntarily surrenders their rights due to their own attempted or actual violations of the rights of another

Rights Violation Responses (PIN)

Proportional: corresponding to the size, degree, or intensity of harm threatened or done

Imminent Threat: rights violation is occurring or is nearly certain to occur

Necessary: What must be done to protect their rights or rights of others

Doctrine of Double Effect

If an act will result in both intended good effects and foreseeable but unintended bad effects, the act is only morally permissible if it meets the following conditions:

Moral Principle: cannot violate a moral principle or natural right

Means-end: The good effect must be directly produced, not as a result of the bad effect

Unavoidable Bad: The good effect cannot be achieved without the bad effect occurring

Proportionality: the good effect must be at least as good as the bad effect

Utilitarianism

Right action produces the most expected net happiness

Value Theory

What has values in its own rights is net happiness

Theory of Right Action

Right action is that which maximizes expected value

Utilitarianism Problems

Resources lead to happiness determination (not all the same happiness for all people)

How do you identify the variables for forecasting expected value

How do you balance near-term unhappiness with long-term happiness?

Virtue

A commendable quality or trait

An excellent trait of character, or a disposition well entrenched to choose, act, and react in certain characteristic ways

Those things in others that will make him/her good and allow them to perform their function well

Three Body Problem

Natural Obligations/duties

Voluntary Obligations/duties

Solidarity Obligations/duties

Factors that influence the strength of Special Obligations

Narratives

Biases

Emotions

Stakes of the Consequences

Special Obligations

Moral Obligations incurred due to roles, relationships, or promises made

Character (MDR)

How will this action affect my character, what would a person of character do?

Character

One of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual

A set of ingrained virtues, a complex of value laden dispositions to act reliably, in a particular way, based on one’s understanding of the circumstance

Character Development

1. Define it

2. Set Aim/intention

3. Demonstrate virtues

4. Assess where you missed and why

5. Integrate your feedback

6. Aim Again

7. Demonstrate your virtues

Doing your best to do the right thing is doing the right thing!

Helping teammates identify and habitually act and speak in ways aligned with their virtues

Coaching to examine actions in relation to missed target

Coaching to realign actions to intended target instead of rationalizing

grapes (guilt) vs. cocoa puffs (shame)

Good person vs. done something good

Bad person vs. done something bad

Action vs. identity

Aristotelean Virtues/Golden Mean

Virtue is the mean (average) between two opposite vices or extremes

Courage is the virtue between cowardice and foolhardiness

Pride (Aristotle)

Some people really are that good

Pride = greatness of soul and is the crown of other virtues

Vanity vs. Undue Humbleness as opposites to pride

Pride (C.S. Lewis)

No one is really that good

Pride is competition through comparison with others

Pleasure only at being better than/having more than the next person

Humility

Keeping a mindset about myself that is open-minded, self-accurate, and “not all about me” to include not thinking that I am better than other people

Obedience

Deferential - Comply based on acknowledgement of practical authority

Coerced - Comply based on a fear of consequences

Role of Pride and Shame in Obedience

Incentivize behavior by praising to generate PRIDE

Disincentivize behavior by rebuking to generate SHAME

Little s stoicism

Indifference to pain or pleasure

Not complaining or showing feelings when suffering

Big S Stoicism

Improves the individual’s ethical and moral well-being through the pursuit of practical wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance

Acknowledging that we do not have control over what happens to us, but we do have control over how we respond

Stoic Narrative

You are an actor in a play and some things are in your control and others are not

You cannot control your role and how many acts there are

Stockdale on Stoicism

It is the responsibility of the older prisoner to recondition and mentally fortify the new prisoners to prevent them from entering a shame cycle

“Control fear, control guilt”

Shame, not pain is the worst torture you can inflict on another human being

Self-control and emotions

Control of emotions ≠ suppression of emotions

Control response to emotions

Emotions

Conscious mental reactions subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body

Relatively short-term affective responses, evoked by something real or imagined in our environment, that shifts our thoughts, physiology, expressions, and behaviors

R.U.L.E.R.

Recognize

Understand

Label

Express

Regulate

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

The ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate amongst them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions

Emotional Agility

Emotions are data, not directives

Flashing lights of things we care about (Sorry…)

Guide value-judgements

Lead to value-aligned action

Classification of Emotions

Good vs. Bad vs. Indifferent

Positive vs. Negative

Helpful vs. Destructive

Pleasant vs. Unpleasant

High Energy vs. Low Energy

Courage

Mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

Taking the right or noble action despite known risks, and typically despite fear

Limits of Morality

Instances in which we are not obligated to display virtue

Heroism

Courageous actions taken on by an individual, usually with an unusual amount of personal risk; venture must be successful

Physical Courage

Acting despite known risks to bodily harm

Moral Courage

Acting despite known risk of social, psychological, political, or economic harm

Moral Courage (Tippett)

Taking action or speaking up having crossed a threshold of caring more about what is right and/or the right thing to do than what others might think about you, say about you, or do to exclude you

Civilian Control of Military

Civilians have control over the military, because it is an extension of politics

Civilians direct and equip the military

Military serves the republic, often at the cost of the lives of those around you