Justification Traps, And General Moral Rules

Many decisions involve a considerable amount of contemplation and reasoning. These decisions include the ethical dilemmas we encounter every day on an individual and global scale, such as contemplating whether capital punishment is just or unjust. Ethics is often confused with factors that are not cohesive with our true self but that are induced from society. Ethics is not feelings, religion, science, or following the law and cultural norm. Ethics is, however, a set of moral behaviors that tell us what is right and wrong in different situations. Through writings such as The Apology by Plato and Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu we are can more clearly get a picture of what it means to be ethical and how to respond to ethical dilemmas.

Every day people make decisions that may have profound effect on their personal and/or professional lives as well as the lives of others. The decision people make have a foundation on their personal, cultural, and perhaps organizational values. When these values are in disagreement, an ethical dilemma occurs.

This selection of ways of expressing ethical commitments does not seek to invalidate other approaches. The presentation of different ways of conceiving ethics alongside each other in this statement is intended to draw attention to the limitations of relying too heavily on any single ethical approach. Ethical principles are well suited to examining the justification for particular decisions and actions. However, reliance on principles alone may detract from the

Now, let's see how learning about the Four Ethical Lenses and a simple method for decision-making can help you resolve a typical ethical dilemma. Ready?

Every day we are faced with certain situations that challenge us with how to act in an ethical manner. It can be human nature to feel unsure or conflicted with the correct moral choice. Some can say that one should know how to handle such dilemmas and others may say that there should be a reference of some sort to help guide through such conflicts. Sometimes we know the answers and sometimes we are unsure of how to handle certain situations. Most times we go through life wondering what we should do. As I become further educated on the different theories of ethics, I believe there are answers that are available in guiding one through an ethical dilemma and or judgment. I will discuss Vincent Ruggiero’s three basic criteria, Robert Kegan’s order of consciousness, the three schools of ethics and the correlation between all three.

A moral code guides my actions and thoughts. Before committing an act I review my ethics. As a Christian my morals stem from my religion. In life I strive to be selfless, kind, patient, considerate, and loving. These traits form my identity and my life goal is to mold my character to reflect these traits. Morals and religion also provide my purpose in life, assisting others whenever possible. Purpose drives my thoughts and cause me to envision actions that help others. Ethics and religion also provide the bulk of my identity. My value is cemented inside religion. Identity is formed by entwining purpose, morals, and personality. Identity needs to be tethered to a firm foundation or else my life will lose stability and I will feel that I  fall short of expectations. Accomplishments and the approval of others shift like sand in a strong breeze. These foundations are never constant. Therefore I strive to detach my identity from such sources to avoid emotional turmoil. In my life, religion and morals are the only stable foundation. No matter what hardship, change, or dilemma I face, I can lean into this foundation for support. My identity remains stable when cemented into these ideals. My church small group has reinforced this decision through encouragement and guidance. There I have ascertained that my identity is not my failures, reputation, or awards. My identity is who I am when adhering to my ethic code.

Truthfully there are many reasons that we do the things we do, and why we sometimes act immorally.   The right thing to do is not always obvious and it may require acknowledging one's own faults and mistakes. Likewise, standing up for the right thing may have negative consequences.. However the “right thing” is generally a subjective concept and fluid in its interpretation.

Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr.’s book, “Defining Moments”, focuses on the ethical decision making process of “right versus right” from a management standing point. In reality, ethical decision making has two types of conflicts:”right versus wrong” and “right versus right”. “Right versus right” decisions are considered as the “grey” areas of ethical decision making. Badaracco saw the need to focus on it as “right versus right” decisions play a large role in ethical decision making for managers in real –life. To do so, he written “Defining Moments” as a way of showing the significance of “right versus right” decisions, their effect on decision making, and methods on resolve the dilemma posed by “right versus

u. Positive vs. Negative Ethics: Positive gives grey areas. Things like “I should…” Negative ethics draws a fine line “I should not…”

Core to this belief is the notion that solving ethical dilemmas should be determined by the best option that presents the fewest consequences.

right and wrong share a very thin line. The right decision for some might be wrong for others and vice

Now whether we like it or not, many of us have been in a situation where we’ve been wronged ethically, or have wronged someone else ethically. But how can you prevent that from happening? The solution: “My Ethical Choice.”

Centered on psychological, sociological and philosophic principles such as virtue ethics, deontology, utilitarianism and intuitionism, for instance, many theorists argue that our decision making ability or ethical judgements are based on our own experience, or the nature of our standards of reason. Ethics, whether personal or professional, is about our actions and decisions. Moreover, it is acting in a way that is consistent with our values and choices, not just simply following the rules. Our Code of Ethical conduct originates from our values which are greatly influenced by our morals; they provide guidance and are our standards for the ways in which we carry out and view right and wrong actions; these standards are derived from our fundamental beliefs. Ethics are usually the principles we use to form decisions on what is right or wrong, good or bad and are typically cultivated from our culture, environment, and religious beliefs. Moral responsibility is said to be innate and/or instilled within an individual outside of themselves, however, studies also suggest that moral attitude and action are also affected by

Making consistently ethical decisions is difficult. Most decisions have to be made in the context of economic, professional and social pressures, which can sometimes challenge our ethical goals and conceal or confuse the moral issues. In addition, making ethical choices is complex because in many situations there are a multitude of competing interests and values. Other times, crucial facts are unknown or ambiguous. Since many actions are likely to benefit some people at the expense of others, the decision maker must prioritize competing moral claims and must be proficient at predicting the likely consequences of various choices. An ethical person often chooses to do more than the law requires and less than the law allows.

From the reading, I understand that people think and act differently when faced with ethical issues. For one to make a rational decision, an extensive process of judgment is required (Bandura, Caprara, & Zsolnai, 2000). For an individual to be responsible, he or she should put into consideration the magnitude of the consequences of the actions, social