Transcript Ethics and Our Law - North Ridgeville Middle School

Ethics and Our Law
Chapter 2
GOALS
• Define ethics
• Describe each element of the definition
• Define business ethics
What is Ethics?
• Lisa found a $20 bill in the girl’s restroom at
school. She bought her sister a gift with part
of the money and put the rest of the money in
her savings.
• Jim found $20 in the boy’s restroom. He
knows whoever lost the money would probably
need it, so he turned the money in to the
office.
• Who is displaying more ethical behavior?
• What would you do?
Hot Debate
• Should Julian inform the INS of Achmed’s
whereabouts? If so, why?
• What are the reasons in favor of Julian not
informing the INS?
What’s your Verdict?
• Has Jane made an ethical decision?
• If you were in Jane’s position, what would you
do?
• Why so you think Jane's decision is okay?
Not okay?
• What do you think Jane should do with the
exam she found?
Ethics
• Deciding what is right or wrong in a
reasoned, impartial manner
3 Elements:
1. Decision about right
or wrong action
2. Decision is
reasoned
3. Decision is impartial
1) Decision about Right or Wrong
Action
• Decision to buy blue jeans with wide pant legs or
narrow pant legs?
– Ethical component?
• Decision to discontinue medical support for an
unconscious, terminally ill relative.
– Ethical component?
• Many decisions have little effect on other
persons or yourself
• To involve ethics, a decision must affect you or
others in some significant way
2) Reasoned Decisions
• We often act in response to our ________.
EMOTIONS
• Ethical decision must be based on reason, not
our emotions
• Usually refer to a written authority that provides
consistency
– Law
– Religious texts
• “I believe that God is the source of the Bible and the Bible
tells me not to lie. Therefore, it would be wrong, or
unethical, for me to lie”
3) Impartial Decisions
• Impartiality
– The idea that the same ethical standards are
applies to everyone
• Ethics does not value one person or group
of persons more than any other does
– Men vs. Women
• Each person is an individual and should
receive equal respect and consideration
from others
Impartial Decisions (cont)
• It requires us to make ethical decisions while we
balance our self-interest with the interest of
others
• If you hit someone’s car and no one sees you, is
it ethical not to report it?
– Who is affected?
All of our actions affect others
Impartial Decisions (cont)
• Particularly important when organizations
and institutions are involved
– “It was only the school’s property”
– “Just the insurance company was cheated”
– Consider how the people behind the
institution are affected by the action
In this Case
• What would you have done in Gabe’s place?
• Why?
• What would prompt them to keep the wallet?
Return the wallet?
Business Ethics
• The ethical principles used in making
business decisions
• Too often, ethics are not considered when
business decisions are made
• Why?
PROFIT MAXIMIZATION
Business Ethics (cont)
• Move factories offshore and cut jobs to
reduce costs
– Increase profits for the business owners
• The profit maximization ethic will need to
be replaced by the more humane ethical
standards
Assignment
• Pg 27 #1-11
• Make sure that you answer all parts of
the question!!!!
• Complete sentences
Reasoning About Right &
Wrong
2-2
Goals
• Reason based on consequences
• Reason using ethical rules
Based on Consequences
• Rightness or wrongness is based only on
the results of the action
• Particular acts have no ethical, or moral
character
• A good act = good consequences
• A bad act = bad consequences
Based on Ethical Rules
• Acts are either right or wrong
– Truth = right
– Lying = wrong
• Good consequences do not justify wrong
or bad acts
– Can’t justify lying if it has a good
consequences
Same Conclusions
• For almost all ethical decisions, you reach the
same conclusion using either form of reasoning
– One should not lie
• Consequence-based reasoning
– Recognizes that lying usually produces bad
consequences
• Rule-based ethics
– Lying is always wrong
Ethical Reasoning Based on
Consequences
1. Describe alternative action
2. Forecast consequences
3. Evaluate consequences
1. Selecting the standard for judging
consequences as right or wrong
2. Counting the persons affected
The Good
• The standard for judging right or wrong
Fundamental Ethical Rule
• Fundamental Ethical Rule – the acts
themselves are judged as right or wrong
• Standard for judging comes from 2
sources:
– Recognized Authority (law, religious text)
– Human Reasoning (shows that things are
basically wrong)
• A test has been devised to determine
whether an action is right or wrong……
Universalizing
• Picturing in your mind’s eye everyone in the
world doing the action
– Irrational?
– Illogical?
– Self-Defeating?
• If any of the three are true, the action is
inconsistent with reason and therefore ethically
wrong
Moral Rights
• Rightful claims on other people that flow
from each person’s status as human
beings
How is Ethics Expressed in
Our Laws?
Lesson 2-3
• Majority Rule
– Elected representatives vote for laws
acceptable to the majority of people they
represent
• Do our laws more reflect consequence
based or rule based ethics?
– Consequence
National Legislature
Congress
The House of Representatives
The Senate
Our Laws Reflect Rule-Based
Ethics
• Laws desired by the majority may conflict
with moral rights
– The majority may benefit from unjust laws
• The courts would declare invalid because
they deny “equal protection of the law” to
the minority
Our Laws Reflect Rule-Based
Ethics
• The U.S. supports and recognized human
rights
– Undermine human rights = unconstitutional
• Civil Rights
– Personal, human rights recognized and
guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution
Our Laws Reflect Rule-Based
Ethics
• Federal Judges
– Appointed NOT elected
– Appointed for life
• Protect human rights without risking their job
Declaration of Independence
• Recognizes our fundamental rights
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and
the pursuit of Happiness”
Other Ethical Goals Reflected in
Our Law
• Laws need to be
clearly stated and
communicated
– Ex. – Grades
• What’s your Verdict?
Are We Obligated to Obey Laws?
• Yes – Ethical reasoning demands it
(avoid punishment)
Are We Obligated to Obey Laws?
• Ethics demands that we obey
• We consent to be governed by laws
• Integrity
– The capacity to so what is right even in the face
of temptation or pressure to do otherwise
• We want to avoid punishment
– Fined, jailed, put to death
– Barred from jobs with security clearance
(Banks)
– Licensed (Lawyers, doctors, accountants)
• Employers usually purchase fidelity bonds
for persons who handle large sums of
money (cashiers)
• Fidelity Bond
– An insurance policy that pays the employer
money in the case of theft by employees
• Serious crimes do cannot qualify
Are We Ever Justified in Violating
The Laws?
• What’s your verdict?
• Civil Disobedience
– Open, peaceful, violation of a law to protest its
alleged injustice
• Participants may be willing to be arrested in order to test
the validity of the law in court
– Goal = to make the legal system more just
Are We Ever Justified in Violating
The Laws?
• Scofflaws
– Persons who do not respect the law
• They assess the risk of being caught against
the benefits they obtain
• They are NEVER ethically justified in
violating the law
Chapter Review
• Ethics applies when decisions affect
people
• Ethical decisions must be grounded on
reason and impartiality
• There are two basic forms of ethics: those
based on consequences and those based
on fundamental ethical rules
• Ethics based on consequences evaluates
only the results or effects of acts
Chapter Review (cont)
• The law tries to advance the goals of
– Reflecting the will of those governed
– Preserving natural rights
– Maintaining order
• Both consequential and rule-based ethics
compel us to obey the law
• Integrity is doing what is right even in the
face of temptation or pressure to so what
is wrong
Chapter Review (cont)
• We are obligated to obey the law because, by
accepting society’s benefits, we have consented
to be bound by laws
• We are obligated to obey the law if we believe in
helping others. Civil disobedience is only
justifies in rare and extraordinary circumstances
• We should obey the law if we desire to avoid
punishment
• Civil disobedience is the open, peaceful violation
of a law to protest its alleged injustice or
unfairness