Ethics in Policing Clemson Midterm

Ethics

study and analysis of what constitutes good or bad conduct, related to profession

metaethics

discipline that investigates the meaning of ethical systems

normative ethics

determines what people ought to do and defines moral duties based on ethical systems or other means of analysis

Applied ethics

the application of ethical principles to specific issues

professional ethics

even more specific type of applied this relating to the behavior of certain professions or groups

moral

good or bad conduct in other spheres of life aside from profession

duties

actions an individual must perform to be considered moral

supererogatories

commendable actions but not required to be considered moral

imperfect duties

general duties that one should uphold but do not have a specific application as to when or how/ not illegal

values

defined as elements of desirability, worth, or importance, implies a choice or judgement

In order to be judged as ethical or moral, must have four elements

1. must be an act

2. must be an act done by a human

3. must be of free will

4. must affect other people, earth, or living things

Critical Thinking

to be cognizant of facts and to use objective reasoning

Questions critical thinkers should ask

. what information am I using? laws?

. what information do I need to settle the question?

. Is there another way to interpret this information

. what assumption has led me to this conclusion?

. is there another pov I should consider?

. what implications or consequences might be a result?

Discretion

the power and authority to choose on of two or more alternative behaviors

socrates

one of the earliest ethicists

ethical system

structured set of principles that define what is moral

characteristics of ethical systems

must be internally consistent, consistent with generally held beliefs, and must possess moral common sense

Ethical systems are…

prescriptive, authoritative, logically impartial, not self serving

We make moral judgements from

moral rules which are derived from ethical systems

Who is responsible for Ethics of Virtue?

Aristotle

what are the virtues?

thriftiness, temperance, humility, industriousness, honesty

Eudaimonia

the goal of life according to ethics of virtue, perfect happiness and flourishing

Does ethics of virtue think that humans are born good or evil?

no they think that you become one or the other by habits and being trained

moral virtue

state of character where actions are consistent with the principle of the golden mean

principle of the Golden Mean

moderation, staying in the median between traits, not too far in excess or deficiency

6 pillars of character

trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, citizenship

problems with the ethics of virtue system

can be vague, there are often conflicts between two virtues

Natural law

principles of morals and rights are inherent in nature and not man-made (Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas)

Where does morality come from?

It is part of the natural order of the universe

According to natural law, what is good is natural and…

what is natural is good

problems with natural law

how do we know which inclinations are natural and therefore good? has been used to discriminate

Religious Ethics

St Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, religious beliefs based on good and evil, God’s will is good

two types of people who follow a religious ethic system

legalistic and situationalists

According to religious ethics we can know God’s will in there ways

1. individual conscience

2. religious authorities

3. Holy Scriptures

Ethical formalism was mainly founded by…

Emmanuel Kant

Ethical formalism

if an act is done in good will it is good no matter any adverse consequences

Is Ethical formalism Deontological or Teleological?

Deontological

Deontological

the goodness of an act is determined by the motive behind it

Where does Kant believe moral worth comes from despite being a Christian?

doing one’s duty

Hypothetical Imperatives

if-then statements that designate certain actions to attain certain ends

Categorical Imperatives

things that must be, no explanation needed, act in a way you want others to act, don’t use people

Main Pillars of ethical formalism

1. Act in a way that you would be okay with becoming universal law

2. never treat humanity as a means to an end

3. act as though you are the law maker

Is ethical formalism an absolutionist perspective?

yes

Criticisms of Ethical Formalism

-unresponsive to extreme situations

-morality is limited to duty, yet sometimes duties conflict

-prioritizing motive over outcome can be problematic

t/f the definition of eudaemonia or happiness is equivalent to the idea of hedonism

false

t/f under the retributive system the reason we punish is for the greater good of society

false

t/f the primary distinction between ethical issues and ethical dilemmas is that issues are broad and dilemmas are specific

true

t/f the process of dehumanization involves stopping away of sympathy

true

t/f the brain releases oxytocin in settings where there are feelings of anger or fear

false

t/f and on-duty lifeguard who runs into the ocean to rescue a drowning child has performed what kind of duty

professional duty

the idea that the government should maintain order but the community should establish peace is a characteristic of what concept?

restorative justice

Deterrence is the central theme of what theory of corrective justice?

utilitarian

What ethical system suggests that what is good for one’s survival and personal happiness is moral

egoism

The concept of justice is most closely related to this type of ethical system?

ethical formalism

Immanuel Kant is most associated with this type of ethical system

ethical formalism

This type of ethical system bases ethics largely upon one’s character and possession of certain values

ethics of virtue

this type of justice is primarily concerned with balance

retributive justice

This type of justice concerns itself with the steps taken to determine guilt

procedural justice

This process theorized that people rationally choose their behaviors by weighing the please or benefit of their actions against the possible costs

hedonistic calculus

modeling and reinforcement are both elements of this theory

learning theory

comparing oneself to others develops this in an individual

self-efficacy

torturing a suspect as part of an interrogation would be justifiable if it saved lives would be consistent with this type of philosophy espoused by Jeremy Bentham

utilitarianism

this ethical system embraces human’s inclination for self-preservation

natural law

the power and ability to choose 1 of 2 or more alternatives

discretion

the idea that workers feel they are being treated fairly is known as this type of justice

organizational justice

this term refers to the study and analysis of what constitutes good and bad conduct

ethics

sanitizing language such as washing or ending instead of killing is an example of this type of labeling

euphemistic labeling

this distributive justice theory gives need the most weight

marxist

at this level of Kohlberg’s moral stage theory, people perceive themselves as members of society, living up to role responsibilities is paramount in believing oneself to be good

conventional

these are required behaviors, actions, or responsibilities that are attached to a specific role

duties

according to this text, what is the first step in ethical analysis?

determining if there is any revenant law

enlightened egosim

it may seem wrong, but longterm it well help you best help others

psychological egoism

humans naturally seek self-interest and therefore can’t do anything else

principle of forfeiture

you give up your rights to be treated with respect when you violate someone else’s

moral pluralism

there are fundamental truths that may dictate different definitions of what is moral in different situations

act utilitarianism

judges good by how a specific act impacts the good of all, not the future

rule utilitarianism

judges the goodness of an act by its long term utility when it becomes a universal rule

justice

the quality of being impartial, fair, just

the condition of being impartial is called

fairness

distributive justice

concerned with how to distribute wealth

corrective justice

concerned with unfair advantage occurs

egalitarian theories

equal shares for all

marxist theories

place need above desert or entitlement

libertarian theories

freedom from interference from the government

utilitarian theories

attempt to maximize benefits for individuals and society with a mixed emphasis on entitlements and needs

veil of ignorance

people can only develop fair principles of distribution when they are unaware of their position in society

substantive justice

concerns the appropriate punishment for crimes

procedural justice

concerns the steps taken to reach a determination of guilt

retributive justice

determination for an equal punishment to the crime

utilitarian justice

only supports punishment if it benefits society

restorative justice

concerned with making the perpetrator repay the victim and apologize in some way in order to restore them back to the community

preconventional level

person approaches moral issues purely by personal interest

conventional level

perceive themselves as members of society and living up to their roles is the most important to consider yourself a good person

post-conventional level

moves beyond norms and laws to determine universal good

moral justification

the appeal to a higher or more important end to justify the act

euphemistic labeling

use of words to downplay the seriousness of actions “sanitizing language”

advantageous comparison

an argument that an action may be wrong, but they could have done worse

displacement of responsibility

removes individual as a free thinking agent to deny culpability for actions

diffusion of responsibility

redefining one’s responsiblity for an action by spreading out the blame on others