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Best Ethical Decision Making

Decent Essays

There are several different ethical theories giving a decision maker a diverse way to make the best ethical decision. The author gives the readers multiple ways to consider a decision to prevent overlooking anyone or anything that has moral standing within the decision. To help explain the difference, we will use John Doe and his ethical decision he is faced with. John is a scientist and found a formula of unhealthy ingredients that taste just like sugar. He needs to decide whether or not to report this to his mass cookie-producing employer. First, John wants to use the identity-based approach of reasoning to help make this decision. This approach reflects on what the decision maker will become after executing his/her decision. John knows the ingredients are unhealthy for the human body, so deciding to use the recipe …show more content…

This approach does not take the consequences into consideration. The first theory under this method is duty-based. Meaning John must take in account of his obligation to the owners. John was hired to find a cheaper way to make the cookies and these ingredients are much cheaper than sugar. Therefore, it is his duty to report his findings to his employer. With that being said, John also needs to take the rights-based theory into account. The customers of John’s company have the right to know what is inside their cookies. However, the company tends to hide the unhealthy ingredients as “natural flavors”. John worries that the sleaziness of the company will manipulate the ingredient list preventing their customers their right to know the actual ingredients. The last of the principle-based approach is the justice-based theory. This theory is making sure everyone is being treated fairly within the decision’s moral standing. However, this theory does not pertain to John’s decision The last approach John should use is the consequence-based

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