Chapter 7: Taking Ethical Decisions, Essay Example

In the atmosphere filled with numerous controversies and obligations, ethical issues remain the matter of the primary human concern. Because ethics is not always subject to legal standards and norms, and because ethical issues usually involve decisions which impact human lives, the way in which we take such decisions is of utmost importance. In his book, Ruggiero (2008) provides the three critical elements of ethical decision-making: obligations, moral ideals, and consequences. These are, certainly, very important, but do not suffice when it comes for the need to take the most relevant and the most appropriate decision.

In my opinion, everything should begin with defining the issue in question. Do we speak about workplace ethics, or do we need to pay special attention to ethics in professional fields? These questions should be closely examined and properly defined, before any further actions take place. The next step in taking an ethical decision is in choosing the needed set of ethical ideas or ethical perspective. It is no secret, that on our way to ethical conduct, we are governed by a set of ethical principles and perspectives, including utilitarianism, the rights approach, or even the justice approach (SCU, 2009). Based on the chosen perspective, an individual will be required to evaluate moral standards of action and weigh all available options. Choosing the best option will be followed by the need for an individual to evaluate the consequences and take actions needed to correct the course of the chosen ethical decision. The strength of this approach is in that creates an opportunity for an individual to choose the best ethical perspective and to weigh all alternatives. Contrary to the vision, which Ruggiero (2008) promotes in his book, this approach does not account for moral ideals. Or, to be more exact, it does not show moral ideals as a static element of decision-making. Rather, whether moral ideals are taken into account depends on what ethical perspective one chooses (for example, utilitarianism will place emphasis on consequences, while the rights approach will emphasize moral ideals). However, it is recommended that one applies several different ethical approaches to one and the same issue – to make sure that he (she) possesses an objective picture of the ethical dilemma. For example, if we are speaking about whistle-blowing and whether it is ethical or not, one will be expected to define the issue, to define the ethical approach (do we look for the consequences of whistle-blowing, or do we want to decide whether it violates certain rights), to weigh all alternative actions for or against whistle-blowing, and to monitor the consequences of our decision. This decision-making framework will give individuals a sense of being able to resolve the most complicated ethical issues at hand.

References

Ruggiero, V. (2008). Thinking critically about ethical issues. The McGraw-Hill Companies.

SCU. (2009). A framework for thinking critically. Santa Clara University. Retrieved October 22, 2009 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/framework.html