Midterm Exam Review: Ethics and Human Nature
Midterm Exam Overview
The exam format includes multiple choice and an essay, conducted using Respondus Lockdown Browser.
Essay Component:
Must mirror homework but involves applying all three recommendations to the CEO.
Major Topics of Study
Elevator Pitch
Definition: A concise speech that summarizes who you are and what you do, intended to intrigue the audience.
Purpose:
To create a strong personal introduction by sharing curated personal information.
To control the narrative of self-presentation to shape the image desired by the speaker.
Recommendations:
Prepare varying lengths of pitches (seconds to minutes).
Use memorable storytelling to articulate your value.
Cite concrete examples to support claims (e.g., reliability).
Example of an Elevator Pitch:
“I was the only intern to show up during those four snowstorms last year. My manager laughed when I came to work that fourth time, amazed that I had made it in.”
Ethics vs. Morals
Definitions:
Morals: Individual beliefs about what is right or wrong; subjective and can be influenced by personal experiences and intuitions.
Ethics: A systematic framework of moral principles that are commonly understood and applicable to a group or society.
Key Points:
Morals are relativistic and idiosyncratic.
Ethics provide a common foundation for behavior and decision-making.
An example of being ethical but not moral: Lying and cheating for family advancement.
An example of being moral but not ethical: Honest conduct at work that does not lead to personal advancement.
Verbose Definitions:
Ethics:
Noun (eth·ic): 1a. A set of moral principles; a theory of moral values (e.g., "Christian ethics"; "work ethic").
1b. Ethical principles of conduct governing individuals or groups (e.g., professional ethics such as medical ethics involving beneficence and fairness).
Disciplines of Ethics:
Dealing with moral rights, duties, and obligations.
Human Nature & Ethics
Concept of Human Nature:
The idea that individuals have the potential for perfection, transitioning from ignorance/selfishness to knowledge/unselfishness.
Socrates' Allegory of the Charioteer:
Reason should manage impulses and appetites, leading to decision-making guided by rational thought.
Role of Reason in Ethics:
Encourages dialogue through social cognition (Socratic Method) for deeper understanding.
Promotes the well-being of individuals and society through service-oriented ethics.
Quote by Socrates: "The unexamined life is not worth living" emphasizes the necessity of reason in human existence and ethical behavior.
Justice and the Good Soul
Socrates on Justice:
Justice is viewed as the excellence of the soul, advocating for fairness and selflessness.
Injustice leads to social disunity and individual conflict.
The idea that a just society enhances cooperation and success.
Socratic View of the Soul:
A soul must fulfill its purpose (rational function) to achieve its ends effectively.
The connection between the well-being of the individual and society emphasizes harmonious living.
Evolution and Human Morals
Modern Scientific Findings:
Biological Evolution provides insight into human ethics.
Mirror Neurons: Neurons fired when we observe others feeling emotions, indicating empathy.
Sense of Fairness: Both primates and rats display reactions based on fairness in social situations.
Cognitive Conflicts: Tensions between rational thought and instinctual behavior.
Cognitive Biases:
Influences decision-making, such as confirmation bias (protecting existing beliefs) and groupthink (social pressures affecting personal judgement).
Social Relationships and Ethical Behavior
The impact of social relationships on moral development:
“Man is a social animal.”
Effects of isolation on psychological health; the importance of love and interaction for healthy emotional development.
Serotonin vs. Dopamine:
Exploring long-term meaningful accomplishments versus instant gratification.
Executives function deteriorates with exertion, highlighting the necessity for habits and virtues.
The balance between emotional instincts and rational decisions is crucial for personal and social success.
Cultural Evolution and Ethics
Cultural Transmission:
Society shapes moral understandings through storytelling, religion, and social practices.
Dynamics of abstraction in culture, understanding societal constructs, including currency and corporate ethics.
How understanding society’s fabric impacts ethical norms and individual behavior.
Dark Triad of Personality
Discussed personality types include:
Psychopath: Lacks empathy and can see others as tools.
Narcissist: Often developed from conditional love in childhood, leading to relationship insecurities.
Sociopath: Similar to psychopath but resulting from inhibited emotional development.
Machiavellianism: Willingness to manipulate others for gain.
Recognition of an inherent complexity within personality structures that shapes moral engagement.
Ethical Decision-Making in Corporations (Stakeholder Theory)
Company Goals: Clearly defined to address stakeholder claims in line with either minimalist or maximalist goals.
Identifying stakeholders:
Types: Regulatory, normative, functional, and diffused stakeholders.
The process of prioritizing stakeholders based on power, legitimacy, and urgency of their claims.
Historical context highlights the evolution of corporate governance and shareholder interests (e.g., Dodge v. Ford).
Free Speech and Ethical Dialogue
Arguments by John Stuart Mill in "On Liberty" emphasize the value of free dialogue in enhancing understanding and decision-making.
Importance of dissenting voices in refining ethical perspectives and resisting dogmatism.
Socratic positioning of questions as essential for moral engagement and clarification.