Ethics Background

1
Ethics Background

• C6440 Ethics in Counseling

2
Ethics as Ground Rules of Behavior

• Major Theories
• Utilitarianism Goal-base
• Deontological Duty-based
• Contractarian Rights-based
• Virtue Theory Character-based

3
Consequential Goal-based

• Focuses on the consequences of human actions
• All actions are evaluated-if achieve desirable
  goal
• Concepts of right, wrong duty are subordinated
  by end or purpose of action
• Teleological-end or purpose
• Consequentialism-right action must maximize the
  good for all
• Utilitarianism-an action is right if it produces
  greatest balance of pleasure or
  happiness-happiness most desired thing

4
Deontological Duty-based

• Deontological-duty-what is important are rules
  principals that guide action
• it is impossible to conceive anything at all in
  the worldwhich can be taken as good without
  qualifications except a good will (Kant, 1948)
• Only things good are actions of will freely
  motivated for right reasons
• Reason is faculty that aids discovery of correct
  moral principals
• When reason guides will-resulting actions are
  done from duty

5
Deontological Duty-based

• Acts are good because they are done for sake of
  what is right not because of consequences they
  might produce
• Duty is linked to universal principals that
  should govern all our actions
• Categorical Imperative actions are based on
  principals around which one would hope all people
  would live-everyone has intrinsic value

6
Contractarian Rights-based

• Social Contract
• State of Nature-Locke-Everyone has inherent
  rights which they are born with
• Veil of Ignorance-Rawls-persons would choose
  principals fair to all

7
Application of Deontological Contractarian
Approach

• Are rules fair to everyone?
• Do rules hold universally even with passage of
  time?
• Is every person treated with equal respect?

8
Virtue Theory Character-based

• Focus on persons underlying moral character
• Wisdom, generosity self-restraint - good member
  of community
• Moral Virtue-Aristotle-development of virtue
  requires cultivation of good habits based on good
  upbringing good education

9
Individual and Group Ethics

• Understanding, acceptance, and application of
  ethics are important to individuals groups of
  individuals
• Ground rules application is a manifestation of
  ethics
• Morals
• Values
• Virtues, etc.

10
Truthfulness Kants Concept

• Truth must be principal factor for social
  intercourse
• Liars destroy fellowship-lying makes it
  impossible to derive benefit from conversation
• Secrets are permitted may be kept, not by lying
  but by non-committal statements
• Silence or extreme talkativeness reveal pride in
  a person
• False speaking is always a lie
• Equivocation ok as long as not give false
  impression
• Right of Privacy right not to be watched if
  lying

11
The Role of Perception in Ethical Development 1

• Perception is a source for development of one's
  ground rules
• Skills needed in selecting, organizing,
  interpreting, acting on information
• Sense of perception increasingly challenged, as
  information is created and exchanged in volumes
  velocities unprecedented in human history

12
The Role of Perception in Ethical Development 2

• Ethics formation driven significantly, not
  exclusively, by personal perception rather than
  elements of fact or reality
• Previous experiences drive reactions to present
  situations, even though we know they are cannot
  be identical.
• Numerous views of the "truth" exist for the same
  reality situation--hence our diversity

13
Cultural Relativism

• Different cultures have different moral codes
• What is thought to be the right by one group
  could be quite abhorrent to another group
• There is no objective standard that can be used
  to judge one social code better than another
• The moral code of our society has no special
  status merely one among many
• There are no universal truths
• Moral code of a society determines what is right
  within that society
• It is arrogance for us to judge conduct of others

14
Eskimos Example of Cultural Relativism

• Show hospitality by offering wife for evening of
  sexual pleasures
• Women are free to leave their husbands go to a
  new partner
• Female babies are often killed
• Old people are left out in snow to die when they
  are not able to care for themselves

15
Arguments for Cultural Relativism

• Different cultures have different moral codes
• Rights wrongs are a matter of opinion that
  changes from culture to culture

16
Literal Application of Cultural Relativism Would
Lead to

• We could no longer say customs of other societies
  are morally inferior to ours
• We would not criticize actions that differ from
  our culturally accepted one
• We would determine right or wrong of action by if
  in accordance with specific society
• Moral progress would be called into doubt
• We would not look to improve because we have to
  assume the current rule is morally correct

17
What Contributes to Cultures Differences

• Religious factors
• Physical circumstances
• Life often forces certain choices

18
All Cultures Share Common Values

• Telling the truth
• There are many common rules which must exist
  will not vary from society to society- Can you
  name a few?

19
What Lessons Do We Learn from Cultural Relativism

• We cannot assume our preferences are based on
  some absolute rational standard
• We must keep an open mind

20
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Reasoning

• Obedience Punishment - avoid punishment
• Marketplace - reciprocity,fairness sharing
• Good Boy Nice Girl - approval by others
• Law Order - morally correct behavior
• Social Contract - societal agreed upon right
  actions
• Universal Ethical Principal - dignity of human
  beings as individuals