Analyzing the basics of ethical thinking for leaders and organizations in societ
Analyzing the basics of ethical thinking for leaders and organizations in society
This chapter will introduce the basic constructs of moral thinking. We will begin by defining the terms morality and ethics. After we have created a working knowledge of the terminology, we will proceed to look at the roots of moral decision-making in our society by tracing the factors that have contributed to the western societal framework. We will look at the many characteristics, including inherent tensions, that determine individual morality and societal ethics, while spending time focusing on the inherent legacy and discussion found in that interaction. At the end of this section, different conceptions of the deeper components of moral theory and its interaction in society will be introduced, with constructive and practical outcomes that will help us to determine how best to approach ethical outcomes. This will include suggestions of how to become more aware of moral decision-making and how to avoid potential problems organizations or leaders might face, as the consider problems that we all have to address personally, professionally and also in a societal and/or global sense.
Key Definitions
What is Morality?
The constructs of human conduct and/or values.
What is Ethics?
The study of the constructs that determine what is good and bad in direct connection with moral principles and values
What is Moral Reasoning?
The factors, arguments, and thinking patterns that determine the constructs of human conduct and/or values
Let’s begin with basic definitions that pertain to the study of moral philosophy and “good” decision making. Morality is the term used to describe the constructs of human conduct and/or values. At its base, morality is formulated on the understanding of what is preferred behavior, in both an individual and societal sense, depending on the context. It is often in the interaction of personal and societal factors that thinkers have contemplated the depth and uniqueness of this study. Though many theorists differ in their interpretation of where morality comes from or how personally or collectively it impacts us, experts are in general agreement that morality is a combination of reason and “sense”, that we as individuals, employ or fall back on to determine right from wrong or our expectations of ourselves and others. Using the writings of Plato in commentary on Socrates, the definition focuses on morality as the determination of “how we ought to live”. This understanding of morality directly coincides with our beliefs about the future and how we conceive of the way the world, the people, and the factors that determine that reality, should come to be, and the end result we desire.
Ethics is the formal study of the personal and collective definitions of morality. Ethics focuses on how we, individually or collectively, conceive or determine morality. It also represents the constant reevaluation and thinking behind the decisions that have led us to these c