Character may determine our fate, but character is not determined by fate, it’s determined by our choices. We must never forget how powerful character is in shaping
Ethics and Intentions
During the Watergate probe, the question continually asked was, “What did President Nixon know and when did he know it?” Our judgment of his behavior depends on the answer to those questions. The more he knew and the earlier he knew it, the worse it was. The Iran-Contra investigation of the decision to sell arms to Iran and use the proceeds …
Obeying the Law Is Not Always Enough
A common source of ethical insensitivity is a legalistic attitude toward ethics that says that if an action is legal or within some set of “rules,” then it’s acceptable and therefore ethical. The prevalence of this notion explains why so many people accused of wrongdoing hide behind technical interpretations of the law. They boast that they were not indicted or …
Rationalizations – The Enemy of Integrity: Twelve Common Rationalizations and Excuses to Avoid
Everyone is ethical in their own eyes. Rationalizations are the most potent enemy to integrity. They work like an anesthetic to our consciences allowing us to avoid the pain of guilt when we don’t live up to our values. We want to think well of ourselves so much that we develop strategies to convince ourselves that we are better than …
When Ethical Principles Conflict
When ethical principles conflict (e.g., when being honest may be unkind) and there is no clear-cut right response, you must choose which principle to honor. Ethical conflicts are best resolved by decisions-making strategies that help you see the moral implications of diverse choices, sort out competing claims, and evaluate the consequences of each option. The following methods may help you …
Decision Making Models: Consequentialism / Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism holds that we should judge the merit of an act by its foreseeable consequences. Actions are good when they produce benefit or prevent harm. There are two divisions: Act Utilitarianism – The ethical merit of an act is judged by the immediate and direct consequences of the action. Rule Utilitarianism – The ethical merit of an act is judged …
Creating a Sustainable Ethical Culture
Michael Josephson discusses going beyond an ethics code and creating workplaces with sustainable ethical cultures.
The Seven-Step Path to Better Decisions
We make thousands of decisions daily. Most do not justify extended forethought but when confronted by major decisions with no clear answers it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. This seven-step guide to making good decisions is an excerpt from the book Making Ethical Decisions . 1. Stop and Think One of the most important steps to better decisions is …
Decision-Making Models: The Golden Rule
This most basic and useful ethical theory, sometimes called the “Rule of Reciprocity,” has a long history: Confucius (500 B.C.): “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” Aristotle (325 B.C.): “We should behave to others as we wish them to behave to us.” From the Mahabharata (200 B.C.): “Do nothing to thy neighbor which …
Decision Making Models: Kant’s Categorical Imperative
According to Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), the moral character of an action depends solely on the principle behind it – not upon the consequences it produces. Ethical obligations are “higher truths,” which we must obey regardless of the results. According to Kant, moral obligations are absolute and do not allow for exceptions or extenuating circumstances. A major virtue of Kant’s duty …
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