Moral Standing in Ethics

Moral Standing

• Moral standing is the capability of an entity to be wronged by an action - meaning it deserves moral consideration
• Moral patients: those who have moral standing
• Moral agents: those who bear responsibilities and can act ethically
• Debate on who or what has moral standing:
  • Human Beings Only (Anthropocentric View): Only humans possess the characteristics necessary to be morally relevant (rationality, language, autonomy).
  • Conscious Beings: Any beings with conscious experience have moral standing, particularly those who can feel pain or experience pleasure.
  • Organisms: All forms of life have moral standing, and harming them should be justified only under specific conditions.

Two Sources of Moral Standing

• Animals have interests, such as avoiding pain, but their exploitation and suffering are permitted for human benefit.
• The property status of animals justifies their suffering when it benefits humans (Francione).

Example Questions in the Conscious Beings View

• The capacity to suffer is grounds for moral standing, meaning harming sentient animals without justification is wrong.
• Should moral standing extend to all conscious beings, even shrimp or ants, or should it be limited to complex animals?

Key Questions

• What distinguishes humans from other animals that justifies exclusive human moral standing?
  • Rationality: Humans reason abstractly, plan for the future, and make complex moral judgments.
  • Autonomy: Humans are self-aware and govern their own actions.
  • Moral agency: Humans can be morally judged and hold others accountable for their actions.
• Counterpoint: Many animals exhibit rationality, emotions, and self-awareness. Not all humans possess full rationality or autonomy.
• Can we flourish outside of work?
  • Flourishing (eudaimonia) is connected to work as it provides purpose, productivity, and social interaction.
  • Flourishing also involves other aspects of life: relationships, hobbies, leisure, personal growth.
  • We can view work instrumentally and find flourishing in how we use time and resources earned.
  • Work alienation is connected to work disconnected from our intrinsic nature.
• What are the salient differences between conscious beings?
  • Cruelty: Demonstrating cruelty may justify differential treatment.
  • Intelligence: Higher cognitive abilities (problem-solving, self-awareness, and social complexity) may justify greater moral consideration.

Ethical Decision-Making

• Intuition: Intuitive answers can be wrong, like making ethical decisions based on instinct rather than thought.
• Selective Attention Mistakes: Individuals may focus on certain aspects of a situation while ignoring ethical aspects (e.g., salespeople may focus on product benefits and downplay risks).

Factors Influencing Unethical Behaviour

• Personal Factors: Background, experiences, and emotional state can affect ethical decisions.
• Organizational Factors: Company culture and policies shape ethical behavior.
• Incentive Alignment: Pay-for-performance schemes may backfire with unethical behavior to maximize personal gain.
  • Conflicts of Interest: Personal interests may conflict with professional responsibilities.
• External Pressures:
  • Financial Pressures: Employees facing personal financial difficulties may prioritize income over ethical considerations.
  • Group Pressure: Conformity to group behavior even against ethical beliefs.
  • Shared Responsibility: Individuals feel less accountable for unethical actions in group settings.
• One’s Organizational Role:
  • Mental Models: Roles influence perceptions of appropriate behavior (e.g., managers might feel entitled to privilege or unethical actions due to status).
  • Intuitive Thinking: Power roles can encourage gut feeling decisions rather than thoughtfulness, leading to unethical choices.
• Organizational Culture:
  • Social Norms: Prevailing culture sets standards for acceptable behavior - unethical behavior that is normalized can pressure employees to compromise their judgment.
  • Priming Effects: Situational cues influence behavior (e.g., symbols of wealth might prioritize self-interest over ethics).

Strategies to Combat Unethical Behavior

• Promote Ethical Culture: Prioritize ethical behavior, encourage open discussions.
• Training and Awareness: Educate employees about ethical standards and decision-making tools.
• Leadership Example: Leaders setting ethical examples can reinforce a culture of integrity.