Seven Ethical Stances to Consider
Having taken a look at the concepts of better thinking, the basics of ethical interpretation, and the philosophical conception of objective and subjective thinking, it is essential to turn our attention to various philosophical and ethical approaches that individuals employ on a daily basis. For simplicity’s sake, this chapter has been broken into seven areas of exploration. This compilation is designed to introduce these major ethical decision-making approaches so as to better understand how each of us might decide important ethical issues and so that we can better understand how people and organizations have argued moral theory historically. This study is also important for us to undertake in order to become more familiar with how people might best make ethical decisions, thus leading all of us towards the goal of continuous improvement over time.
The categories we will explore are:
- Consequentialism
- Natural Law
- Duty
- Rights
- Virtue
- Authority
- Instinct
Individuals and institutions use more than one approach to decision making. They use a combination or hybrid of theories because moral stances often overlap and dictate differing approaches or perspectives and their use. Because this is a reality, we must be diligent when studying the ethical theory of these seven concrete categories as well as be mindful that these classifications are theoretically artificial and must be applied in “real life” situations to develop further meaning and understanding. Through the study of these categories, we become more aware of the presumptions and assumptions of those involved in the decision-making process, and hopefully are better equipped to evaluate moral processes and outcomes.
Consequentialist Thinking
- The teleological approach
- The issue of Utility
- Act and Rule Utility
- Jeremy Bentham and JS Mill
The first general category of ethical thinking, we refer to as “consequentialist” thinking. Individuals using this stance believe that the right action in any circumstance or dilemma is whatever produces results the result one, either individually or by group consensus, believes is valuable.
Consequentialists hold that ethical decisions can only be accurately judged on the merit of the end result or outcome of the decision. As a result, such philosophical theories as pragmatism and utilitarianism, are often referred to as teleological theories. The term, teleology, comes from the Greek root “telos” which is loosely translated as the end, completion, purpose, or goal of any thing or activity.
A good example of this can be found in Aristotle’s stance on ethics. Aristotle where maintains a form of teleology by arguing the end result of individual happiness is the most important element when deciding the ethical nature of a subject. Using his idea of the median, or the balance point, of life and as the basis to determine the level of contentment, Aristotle reasons that one’s knowledge of the final outcome is the most