Ethics Notes 1-6 PDF

Module 1: Ethics, Meaning, Purpose, o Find the meaning of life even with Approaches contradictions DISCUSSION: Ethics can provide us different perspectives,...

Module 1: Ethics, Meaning, Purpose, o Find the meaning of life even with Approaches contradictions DISCUSSION: Ethics can provide us different perspectives, principles, and ideas Why Study Ethics? to understand incomprehensible Human existence is an incomprehensible contradictions, contradiction. to answer the disturbing questions, and o Experiences, human reality to find the ultimate meaning of life. o Full of contradictions and discontradictions o All of us experience happiness but will also experience sorrow o Success is done through failure and hardships Contradictories o Contradictions we experience in our Lying is wrong – but what if you were day-to-day life lying to protect the life of a loved one? o One we cannot explain and o For example: Hide a person who will understand why we experience these be killed by another person, can we contradictions in life still say that lying is wrong? o Joy is with sorrow Stealing is wrong – but what if you were o EXISTENCE OF GOOD AND EVIL stealing food for a starving child? o GOODNESS – The experience o For example: What if you steal money harmony, comfort, and beauty from the rich people to give to the o EVIL – The absence of goodness poor? Killing is wrong – but what if you had to Life is a disturbing question rather than kill someone in self-defense to protect an answer in itself. your own life? (Andrew Ghillyer, 2014) o ANSWER o It only leads to questions and not answers o What are those questions disturbing What you will do? in life that cannot be answered but One rainy day, you went to the CAS Library. only leads to more questions You left your fibrella umbrella outside the o This emanates from the door. When you were about to leave , your contradictions we experience in life umbrella was gone. There were several o If God is good why is there evil? other umbrellas outside the door. You o If God is Just why are there rich and decided to take another brand-name poor people? umbrella. o If all of us are born to live why is it one day we will have to die? Should you have taken it? Should you have taken a lesser-quality? Should you The search from the ultimate meaning of just leave and get wet? life is one of our ceaseless activities o UNDERSTAND o With all the contradictions we experience and life as a disturbing question, we search for the meaning behind why we are alive What is Ethics? o Norms that guide us in doing what is good and avoiding what is evil Ethics is a search for meaning - what is right and good for human beings. As a practical science, it deals with a (Timbreza) systematized body of knowledge that can o We have to behave as humans be used, practiced, and applied to human action. (Peschke, 1999) What people ought to do or what goals o We can use, practice, and apply they should pursue. (Timbreza) o Determine and define the goals. It considers the usefulness, practicality Achieve it. and application of human knowledge to o Do what you need to do in order to one’s experience. (Peschke, 1999) achieve the goals o To see different moral perspectives o We ought to do what is good -which and not just based on facts and what separates us from any other living we observe, it must also be based on beings because of reason principles, philosophies, and concepts It attempts to resolve the questions: How As a normative science, it establishes can one determine whether one is acting norms or standards for the direction and rightly or wrongly? Is there a norm of regulation of human actions. (Peschke, good and evil? (Timbreza) 1999) o In the 21st Century, everything is o Human beings are members of society plural in terms of goodness and rights – they have their own normative or as there are different principles, ideas, standards that we have to follow to that explain what is good and evil decide and act o How these norms and standards Ethics studies are based on reason, evolve and improve? Where they insofar as all proofs of ethical science originated? How are they different? must find their source in the native power How do they influence us? of reason alone. (Timbreza) o Ethics are only for human beings that has reason in order to act properly to do what is good and stay away from FEATURES OF ETHICS evil o Science of ethics – scientific way to 1. The study of ethics seeks to understand properly use of our reasoning how people make the choices they make – how they develop their own set of moral Ethics deals with human acts insofar as standards, how they live their lives on the they are performed with intellectual basis of those standards, and how they deliberation and freedom. (Timbreza) judge the behavior of others in relation to o Ethics only deals with human acts – those standards. (Andrew Ghillyer, 2014) actions that we perform that results In making choices, we are influence from intellectual deliberation and free by different moral standards, how we will live Also how the way we judge other people in relations to these standards It is a practical and normative science Consciously or unconsciously, we are which studies human acts and provides following standards and norms when norms for their goodness or evilness. we behave, making decision, making (Peschke, 1999) actions  THINK: What are the different norms What are the norms that we have to and standards that influence and follow? affect you? That have a significant impact on you in decision and how we 4. Rules of appropriate behavior for a judge community or society. How people make choices, HOW? ETHICS 2. The study of ethics seeks to use that understanding to develop a set of ideals Study of good and evil / right and wrong or principles by which a group of ethical individuals can combine as a community with a common understanding of how they “ought” to behave. (Andrew Ghillyer, 2014) ETHICAL APPROACHES Understand these standards Different people behave differently Normative Ethics We have different explanations and Aims to establishing norms and views guidelines for professionals regarding It is important to realize that there how they should behave. different principles form norms and standards why people ought to It defines what is ethical in the profession. behave differently and perspectives. o For example, accountants have their own Code of Ethics to be called ethical or moral Four Basic Categories (Andrew Ghillyer, 2014) 1. Simple Truth – right and wrong or good and bad. Descriptive Ethics There are different explanation / perspectives what is right and wrong Describes how people actually behave. In order to not be confused, we have Explains and predicts the (un)ethical to go back to the simple truth, the behavior of people in real-life situations. very basic/simple definition of what o More general, how actually people is right good and what is wrong and must behave in real life situations evil 2. A question of someone’s personal Prescriptive Ethics character – his or her integrity. Studying ethics cannot change your Aims at helping people and organizations beliefs and behavior as we already toward ethical decision making by giving have the notion of what is right, advice about how to create environments wrong, good, and evil as we have that foster ethical decisions and how to already had our foundation and improve the ethical components of character decisions. Every time we make decisions, we are o We prescribe what environment we alone. have to create, or we have to join or to Being ethical and moral person belong to in order for us to become cannot separate to their character ethical human beings 3. Rules of appropriate individual behavior. o Our environment and surrounding influence us  influence the outcome of our Two main questions: behavior 1. How can we create organizations that o If we give attention to moral foster ethical behavior? values, the outcome will result into 2. How can we train professionals to an ethical and moral decision readily perceive the ethical dimensions of their own behavior and to act ethically? Moral Dilemma vs Moral Temptation Moral Dilemma o No clear right answer Moral Temptation EVERYDAY ETHICS: A CASE STUDY APPROACH o Clear right and wrong answer BY JEAN P. KIRNAN Definition of Ethics: Ethical Conduct o “Moral principles that govern a person’s where we purposefully act in an ethical behaviour or the conducting of an manner, stepping up to do what is “right.” activity” (Ethics, 2017). o Showing moral courage to stand and what is right o Morally proactive Ethical Person o Being courageous of what is right someone who is knowledgeable about what is the “right” thing to do. Moral Awareness o Who knows what to do o Who does what is right morally aware, they must at the minimum someone who considers aspects of the realize: “that she/he could do something problem or a point of view of which you which would affect the interests, welfare, aren’t usually aware. or expectations of other people” o ethics refers to relationships with someone whose actions are not driven solely by self-interest, but reflect other people o committing an unethical act means consideration of others or of a core set of values. we hurt or offend with our people destroying our relationship with them o being morally aware is also thinking of the welfare, expectation, and Prescriptive vs Descriptive Ethics interest of other people Prescriptive refers to offering guidelines on how we should make ethical decisions Descriptive describes of what we actually do both ethical and mora; Values are important in ethical and moral decision o It is the weight and emphasis that we give on our values that  THE HIGHER STANDARD ETHICAL CONCERNS AND YOUR CAREER (BY JULIA VANDEREN) The SEC ended its investigation into David Sokol, a former Berkshire Hathaway executive, and Ethical concerns in investment decided not to take action against him for insider management can impact careers. trading. In a CFA Institute poll, 35% said employer Sokol bought $10 million worth of Lubrizol ethics had never affected their career, 6% shares in January 2011 after learning from were uncertain, and over half said ethics bankers that his employer, Berkshire Hathaway, had influenced their career paths. might acquire the company. He told CEO Warren Buffett about Lubrizol afterward. 17% said addressing ethical concerns When Berkshire announced it would buy affected their professional reputations, Lubrizol at a higher price, Sokol made a $3 with 5% benefiting and 12% suffering. million profit, raising concerns about misconduct. A Harvard Business Review article notes senior roles are often celebrated for The SEC found no violation of federal law, but resolving ethical issues, while lower-level Berkshire's audit committee criticized Sokol for roles may face backlash. not following higher ethical standards, noting that ethical behavior goes beyond legal requirements. 20% of respondents avoided companies or turned down job offers due to ethical The CFA Institute's Code of Ethics requires concerns, and 21% left jobs for the same members to act with integrity and ethically, not reason. just legally, in their professional dealings. The Code states that members should not act on Career coaches advise framing ethical nonpublic information that could affect departures positively in interviews, investment value. Sokol had such information focusing on differing perspectives or risk when he made his trades. tolerance. Sokol did not reveal that investment bankers suggested Lubrizol as an acquisition, misleading Grappling with Tough Questions (By Jennifer Buffett and violating standards against Simpson) misrepresentation. Ethical dilemmas in finance can arise, The CFA Institute requires members to fully similar to the "Parable of the Sadhu" story. disclose conflicts of interest. Sokol did not disclose his share purchases, creating a conflict. In the parable, climbers helped a Members should prioritize their employer's hypothermic sadhu to varying degrees interests. Sokol used confidential information for but ultimately prioritized their own goals. personal gain, damaging Berkshire's reputation. In finance, balancing competing needs Despite the SEC's decision, Sokol’s actions did and interests is crucial. not meet the ethical standards of the CFA Institute. CFA Institute principles guide ethical behavior: prioritize the profession's integrity and clients' interests, act with  integrity and competence, and maintain professional competence. Financial professionals must be prepared to handle ethical dilemmas, ensuring duties to clients align with duties to employers. Three bullets to remember: o Place the integrity of the profession and the interests of clients above your own interests. o Act with integrity, competence, and respect. o Maintain and develop your professional competence  Module 2: The Human Person as an Ethical o Actions that are beyond our decision Agent and judgement, freedom, independence or free will. o Beyond the scope of ethics, beyond DISCUSSION: our control Human act is a result of our thinking and o Example: Human Act – Studying freedom (done voluntary and independently, no one told you to do such thing) It is only human beings who are capable of whether ethical or not human act because of all animals, we are only the Act of Man – Being hungry , ones with reason or are rational. being sleepy (Physiological, may result into improper behavior) What is Human Act? (Peschke, 1999) What is a Forced Act? (Peschke, 1999) Human act is an act that proceeds from A forced act is a result of insight and our insight and free will. intellect but is carried out against the freedom and will of the person. It refers to our action that is a result of o can be ethical or unethical as you our informed judgment and know what you are doing but acting independence on it against your will o What are our actions that results to informed decision and independence? Two Principles that Constitute Human Act (Peschke, 1999): We have full knowledge of what we are doing. We know our action as well as its Intellectual constituent: consequences. o Knowledge of the object or goal of the o We have an idea of what our actions action will result to consequences. ▪ We know what we are doing and the goal and objective doing such We have our consent to perform such action action. We have done such act voluntarily. o Awareness of the action that is being performed in order to achieve the We have done such act independently. We object or realize the goal have done without anyone forcing us to o Rational judgment of the person on perform such act. the value of the act o Think about the actions that we are ▪ We understand the value of our fully aware on doing, the actions (studying to become consequences, the consent and the professionals after) done independently. Volitive constituent Freedom o The pursuit for what is good o Product of our own volition / ▪ For example: Learning and autonomy studying is good o The choice of the means in order to achieve or realize the good What is Act of Man? (Peschke, 1999) ▪ The means or ways to achieve or realize the goal must be also good It refers to action that we have performed without the intervention of intellect and will. ILLUSTRATIONS: He used to conceal massive losses, leveraged on Enron stock, which THE CASES OF MARTIN SIEGEL & ANDREW eventually led to the company’s FASTOW spectacular bankruptcy in 2001. It basically made Enron look like a healthy Who is Martin Siegel? company when it was actually seriously Former take over specialist in Kidder, ill. Peabody & Company o Find company to invest money To illustrate this, he said Enron was o Find investors to invest money on the graded BBB-plus investment grade, but if companies that the business will buy you took away all the transactions Fastow At the age of 42, pleaded guilty in did, Enron would have rated BB-minus. February 1987 in Federal District Court in Manhattan to one (1) count of conspiracy to break securities laws and one (1) count Ethical Words from Fastow: of tax evasion “Every single deal I did at Enron was He faced a maximum sentence of ten (1) approved by the accountants at Enron, the years prison and a $260,00 fine. outside auditors, the internal attorneys, the outside attorneys and the board of What was the Case? directors. How can you get approval from all of those people and still commit In essence, Mr. Siegel, once one of Wall fraud?” Street's brightest stars, stole financial o He thinks that his conscience is clean information entrusted to him by clients, as he got approval from all of those and then sold that information for people. briefcases filled with cash. o He said that he did it to give his family “You can follow all the rules and still a good life. commit fraud at the same time. That’s The information was sold to Ivan F. what I did at Enron in a nutshell. I Boesky, the fallen arbitrager who settled followed the rules and committed fraud. I charges of insider trading in 1986. didn’t set out to commit fraud. I didn’t set out to hurt anybody.” o He didn’t have the intention to Who is Andrew Fastow? commit fraud but is to follow rules. o Unwritten rule: You can violate the Former Chief Finance Officer of Enron rules, as long as you can bring money CFO of the Year (2000) to the company. Convicted fraudster “The way I looked at it, if there is complexity and ambiguity, it gives me What was the Case? greater latitude to do what I want to do. Fastow was the mastermind behind a Never when I did these transactions did I supremely complex network of off- think about the ethics. I simply said we balance- sheet special purpose entities have a rulebook, it’s amoral, just a bunch and shell companies. of rules. o Prepares the financial report where o They don’t think about ethics, but just they tweak the information followed the rule which is bringing money to the company.  “When you’re in the business world, it’s a Challenger’s solid rocket booster, which lot harder to recognize unethical had become brittle in the cold situations than you think... our financial temperatures, failed. statements were intentionally misleading. But did I think that was wrong? No. I was COLUMBIA: An investigation later just following the rules...” determined the catastrophe was caused o This is an example of unethical by a problem that took place shortly after human act as he knew what he was launch on January 16. doing. o He stayed even though what he was Investigation doing is unethical CHALLENGER: Flames then broke out of the booster and damaged the external fuel Challenger & Columbia Disasters tank, causing the spacecraft to disintegrate. Space missions of NASA during the 80s- 00s COLUMBIA: “…when a piece of foam insulation broke off from the shuttle’s propellant tank and damaged the edge of Facts: the shuttle’s left wing.” CHALLENGER: On January 28, 1986, the American shuttle orbiter Challenger broke up 73 seconds after liftoff, bringing Investigation a devastating end to the spacecraft’s 10th CHALLENGER: The Morton Thiokol, the mission. company that designed the solid rocket boosters, had ignored warnings about COLUMBIA: On February 1, 2003, the potential issues. NASA managers were space shuttle Columbia broke apart while aware of these design problems but also re-entering the atmosphere over Texas, failed to take action. killing all seven crew members on board. COLUMBIA: In August 2003, an investigation board issued a report Facts: revealing that it would have been possible CHALLENGER: The disaster claimed the either for the Columbia crew to repair the lives of all seven astronauts aboard, damage to the wing or for the crew to be including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher rescued from the shuttle. from New Hampshire who had been selected to join the mission and teach lessons from space to schoolchildren Investigation: around the country. COLUMBIA: The Columbia could have stayed in orbit until February 15 and the COLUMBIA: The disaster occurred already planned launch of the shuttle minutes before Columbia was scheduled Atlantis could have been moved up as to land at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. early as February 10, leaving a short window for repairing the wing or getting the crew off of the Columbia. Investigation CHALLENGER: Their investigation revealed that the O-ring seal on  Module 3: Ethical Decision Making WHAT IS ETHICAL DECISION MAKING? It involves questions about how one ought to behave. WHAT IS AN ETHICAL ISSUE? o How you will make a choice as a An identifiable problem, situation, or person opportunity that requires a person to choose from among several actions that The decision process must consider may be evaluated as right or wrong, cultural and religious background. ethical or unethical. o Consciously and unconsciously, it will o We must make decisions be influenced by our upbringing If you cannot longer recognize the issue o At this point in life, your beliefs are o You no longer to think about it already built. We must start to learn because you already know what to do this from an early age to build the o What you must be doing and is to foundations of what is good and evil. choose good. o There may be a framework in The best way to loo at an issue is to look it deciding but your decision will be in another perspective or viewpoint. influenced by your cultural and religious background. WHAT IS THIS CHOICE? FIVE-STEP FRAMEWORK A choice often involves weighing monetary profit against a person. Recognize a moral issue The best way to judge the ethics of a Get the facts decision is to look at a situation from a o Will lead to different alternatives customer’s or competitor’s viewpoint. Evaluate the alternative action from various moral perspectives Make a decision EXAMPLES OF ETHICAL ISSUES Act, then reflect on the decision later. Conflict of interest Fairness and Honesty Problem: Your umbrella was stolen. Communication 1. Pick another umbrella with similar o Fake news quality. o Deep fake 2. Pick another umbrella with lesser Business Relationship quality. o Business partners cheat/spy one 3. Go home and go wet. another to protect their own interest Plagiarism Look at the consequences of your action to o Copying of signs and logos in another person. businesses If high morality, it leads to empathy. If not – Machiavellianism (achieve goals only) Ethical Dilemma – Not sure of what is right or wrong Moral Contemplation – we know what is right and wrong clearly Ethical Issues - Contemplation THE PROCESS OF ETHICAL DECISION MAKING Is HIGH when the IMPORTANCE of the ETHICAL DIMENSION of a situation is Identify an Ethical Dilemma CRYSTAL CLEAR to the decision maker To first recognize that there is a and when ETHICAL CONSIDERATION moral/ethical dimension in a situation. WEIGH HEAVILY in the mind of the First become aware that the situation has person facing the issue. an effect on the interest of others. o HIGH – more issue, morally significant to us o LOW – less to none moral issue, we Judge What is Ethical will not consider the ethical aspect to our decision Make a moral judgment about the issue. Assess the outcomes that could result in Is LOW when the decision maker is the particular situation. HARDLY AWARE that the DECISION has o If it is detrimental to us, choose an ETHICAL ASPECT and when the another option decision maker proceeds to take action Decide what should be done to resolve UNCONSTRAINED by ethical the dilemma they face in an ethical way. deliberations. o Ethic is actually a relationship with people. Building good relationships with people. Six Aspects that Determined Moral Intensity Magnitude of consequences Intend To Act Ethically Social consensus o Po and Opo To establish moral intent. o High Intensity who will first consider Have to place one’s moral concern ahead the social consensus of other concerns and interests they may Probability effect have, and they have to decide to act on o High moral intensity people will think that moral judgment. if their decision will have negative impact to other people unlike who has low moral intensity Act Ethically Temporal immediacy o Time involved before the time you Engage in moral behavior according to experience the consequence one’s intention. o Think if immediate effect on people Proximity o Closeness o Consider those people who are close to you o Betrayal I not done by an enemy but is PERCEPTION OF ETHICAL ISSUES done by a friend. Concentration of effect Moral Intensity o Consider the number of the people Describes the extent to which an issue is that will be affected. perceived as morally important by decision maker. o Importance of this dilemma Moral Framing Framing is like looking at the same picture from various viewpoints.  o We see thing from different angles as ▪ People who will not take we have different upbringing. responsibility even if they will not Moral framing determines the way a do something. situation involving ethical aspects is o Do not see the relationship between presented or perceived. ethics and decision and ethical o It depends on our moral frame or decision angle o Cannot influence course of action o Sometime it is better to have open o High external locust of control communication as we see different indicates that people will not use the perspectives of different persons and ethical dimension in making decisions learn about and how to deal with them. o Everything is plural. Machiavellianism May lead to radically different behaviors People who display strong self-interest depending merely on the way the and often act unethically, employing a problem is described mentality of the “the ends justify the o May be the reason we behave means” differently. o They do nee see the significance of o It is not for me but for my family ethics in decision making o Achieve goals/ambitions regardless of the means Moral Identity and Empathy Locus of Control Opposite of Machiavellianism Moral Identity The degree to which a person views o The degree to which our concept of themselves as having control over events self includes specific moral traits in their life o People that have this will always include moral traits in their self Internal Locus of Control definition o Likely to take responsibility for their o Those who have this, they do not just actions see themselves simply but see ▪ They perceive that they take themselves ethically control in making decisions in their life Those people have empathy to others o They see a relationship between their o They will think the impact of their behavior and outcomes actions and decisions ▪ What we do is in our control” which can be a negative so it must Associated with empathy be manageable not super high o You are aware of the problems of the people External Locus of Control o Putting yourself in the shoes of o Less likely to intervene when they see other people unethical action by others as they o You consider others situations believe their actions would have little influence on the course of events, this Empathy not choosing to act o Describe relatively stable personality traits which are often –  although not always – related to ethical behavior A foundation for Judgement – One of the things that influence our decisions Ancient Ought, particularly in religion o Ten Commandments o Scriptures Organizational oughts o Vision and Mission Everyday Ought Principle of Right desire The ultimate desire of man is to do good. As evil is harmful to others and can be harmful to you. Principle of Contradiction Incomprehensible comprehension o Yin and yang o Positive and negative Proper perspective of discontradictions influence us in making our decisions  Module 4: Moral Development Postconventional Level (Mature Individual – 20yrs + ) KOHLBERG’S MORAL DEVELOPMENT Must be based on principles Full ethical maturity Pre-Conventional Level (Childhood – 12 yrs. Old) Develop the capacity to think about ethics independently. Individuals think about ethical questions Develop notions of fairness, justice, in terms of their own welfare. compassion, equality, and ethical Ethics is based on self-interest. principles. Individuals define right and wrong simply Ethical commitment to these principles in relation to external punishment and rewards. Do what is good to receive reward, do Regardless of age, we make decision because of wrong and must be punished rewards and punishment and others Ethics of convenience expectations. “How can I avoid punishment and not get caught?” “What rewards can I get out of this?” The failure of the authority figure will result to failure of foundation of the child Very critical to have PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND “The child is the father of a man” MECHANISMS o What we are today is rooted to our childhood. Learning Theory and Self-Interest People tend to seek pleasure and pain. Conventional Level (Teen years 13 - 19yrs old) In order for us to learn we must face consequences that follow our behavior The expectations of others primarily determine what is considered right. Behavior that is consistent with he Direct Learning expectations of others whom the individual deems important is considered A critical concept in human learning is to be ethical. that the consequences that follow a o Behavior is ethical if it satisfies behavior influence future occurrences of others that behavior. “Ethics of conformity:” Thus, if rewards or positive consequences Acceptance and approval by others and follow an act, that action is likely to be loyalty to the social environment are repeated. essential. o Must engage and experience the Aim: To please others and win their consequences directly approval. Indirect Learning Ethical behavior depends on what others praise. Learning the consequence of a particular Peer pressure is high. behavior based on the experience of Decisions, actions, beliefs are based on another person, the people that are significant to you. MOTIVATION THEORIES Vroom’s Expectancy theory Three elements 1. VALENCE - Desired/undesirable Outcome 2. EXPECTANCY – ability and effort o If no effort and ability, you will never achieve your outcome 3. INSTRUMENTALITY – what is our expectation every time we perform at a certain level o Our goal is to do good and avoid wrong we must exert effort to do good. ▪ We must perform at a certain level ▪ Exert effort and use ability Adams’ Equity theory 1. Heavily influenced by external factors 2. Each individual considers a ratio of their inputs to outcomes and compares this to the inputs and outcomes of others to determine if the ratio is “fair”. o Every person must het the right outcome o In order for people to grow morally, we must also reward their goodness o If not, people will be discouraged to do good o Ratio of input and outcome and must be equitable to the input in order to be fair with others  Module 5: Ethical Decision-Making in V.U.C.A. BANISHED BINARY and B.A.N.I. World No person knows the exact decision SUSAN LIAUTAND’S THE POWER OF ETHICS: Binary decisions: A choice between two HOW TO MAKE GOOD CHOICES IN A clear options – “Yes or No,” Good or Bad,” COMPLICATED WORLD ”Black or White” o Before, we just choose from two Due to technological advancements opposing options Banish the Binary: s/quash our tendency Ethical Decision-Making to oversimply ethical questions into an Is not about seeking perfection. exercise of choosing sides. o Not necessarily perfectly good o It is not simply choosing a weak side, Is not about assigning blame or criticism. a right or wrong Is a positive, deliberate approach to problem-solving Binary decisions may require in-depth... strong foundation for resilience and debates about risks and opportunities. recovery from those inevitable human moments when we and others make We more often encounter ethics mistakes. challenges that are non-binary - those o We make ethical decisions so that that involve shades of gray and evolving we will not commit the same blend of risks and opportunities. mistakes again o It is about recovering / correcting Deliberate decisions based on collected your mistakes information to identify if what is right and wrong. Six Forces that Drive Ethics Banished Binary Decision-Making (use this in 1. Banished Binary making decisions) 2. Scattered Power 3. Contagion 1. Opportunity and risk 4. Crumbling Pillars There is no clear cut of opportunity 5. Blurred Boundaries and risk 6. Compromised Truth 2. Information Different sources, gather information In depth knowledge and participation VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, 3. Stakeholders Ambiguity) and BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Non- People involved in the decision linear, Incomprehensible) Authors of information Volatility: rapid change 4. Potential consequences Brittle – easy to break, easy to complain How those stakeholders will be affected 4-Step Framework (to avoid oversimplifications All of us can access technology do into binary questions) good and harm 4. It is delinked from even a common human What are my guiding principles? view of the very importance of ethics. o We cannot make decision if we are not anchored in moral and principles o Know your principles as they guide Two Important Questions: you in decision making Do I have the information I need to make 1. Why do you want to do it – what values this decision? are driving you? Who or what stakeholders matter to my Despite of the complexity of decision? technological advancements, at the What are the potential consequences of end pf the day we will go back to our my decisions in the short, medium, and own, ethical perspective long term? 2. What affect could it have on other people? Allocating responsibility among stakeholders is Framework #1: the next step after properly applying the framework. We have to consider our principles, as well as the stakeholders and Know the responsibilities of the people consequences. involved Leadership is also committed to a multi- stakeholder solution. Framework #2: Someone will make an overall assessment We know there is a significant potential or decision based on the collected and ethics risk (information), and we have an analyzed information ethical responsibility as regulators and citizens for the potential impact of our decision (stakeholders and consequences now and in the future) as the technology continuous to evolve. SCATTERED POWER o Gather information for potential risk Refers to the indiscriminate distribution o Consider all consequences of power to do good or inflict harm. o Be ethically responsible due to lack of Power is no longer just in the hands of the laws in terms of technology CEOs and heads of state. Power is a full shell game on the edge: We do not know Ethics are an early-stage endeavor, not an eraser where it is, who has it, how much they or a clean-up act after harm is done. have, or how they will use it. o Power is now decentralized On the use of technology... Hallmarks of Scattered Power: 1. When and under what circumstances would I engage with technology? 1. It is ungovernable. Know limitations in utilizing No laws that cover it technology 2. It is hard to detect who is wielding power. 2. When and under what circumstances 3. Technology is often accessible. would I consider it acceptable for society to allow engagement? Framework #3 Conflict of Artificial interest Intelligence Have you included the difficulties not only Ineffective Facial recognition of collecting information necessary to regulation technology make a sound ethical decision but also of Arrogance Fake news predicting who all the actual and potential stakeholders of a decision will be?... What Arbitrariness E-cigarettes / you can’t know will be as important as Competition vaping what you do know. Echo chamber Blockchain mentality Sharing economy Impunity Virtual assistants Scattered power left unchecked spreads Skewed (Siri, Alexa) unethical behavior and begets other dangerous incentives Hacking forms of unethical behavior. Abuse of Autonomous hierarchy weapons Weak Tech monopolies compliance Compromise Silos truth CONTAGION Ineffective listening Spread of disease; spread of ideas, behaviors and decision- making Viruses Retaliation for We tend to focus on eradicating and reporting punishing unwanted behavior, but we wrongdoing have unchecked the causes of their spreading. Compromised o Polish or remove unwanted behavior truth o Cut the causes to prevent from spreading Our best intentions are not enough. In Even well-intentional people who may order to diminish risk and maximize never think of engaging in immoral or opportunities, we need to factor illegal acts begin to consider: Everybody contagion and mutation – and all their else does it, maybe it’s not so bad. Or drivers – into our current decisions and everyone else does it, why shouldn’t I? our assessment of past ones. o Doing bad becomes the norm Doesn’t happen in isolation. All forces that Where could (or did) the behavior spread drive ethics partner with one another to or beget other unwanted conduct? What amplify the behaviors. drivers could be (or could have been) We have to identify and dismantle the operating? causes of or the driver of contagion. Examples of Causes or Drivers of Unethical CRUMBLING PILLARS Behavior If these crumble, we cannot make an CLASSIC EDGY ethical decision. Greed, fear, Social Media jealousy 3D Printing Three Pillars of Ethical Decision-Making: Unconscious bias Bot caregivers Transparency Celebrity Robots at work Informed Consent Effective Listening Transparency human responsibility for the blur and its ethical consequences. The open sharing of important o Humanity must be exclusively information responsible of these blurred o No transparency means we cannot boundaries make decisions without it. Sharing accurate information that could have a meaningful impact on the outcome Artificial Intelligence – the consequences over time and responsibility – of our decisions. Has already seeped into our day-to-day It should include the information that a lives. reasonable person would need in order to We increasingly interact with the AI make a good choice given their set of machines that take on human functions circumstance. but don’t aim to be humanlike. Blurred boundaries…diminish the visibility of Informed Consent the ethical questions at stake… Before making decisions, you must be We rely on machines and take blame on it informed and has collected sufficient as while these machines are created by us information and we chose to utilize such things. You agree on something based on your knowledge and understanding Two core questions: Effective Listening 1. How can we avoid leaving control of ethical risks in the hands of those who You understand the meaning uttered to control the innovations or prevent letting you machines decide on their own? Understand and not just read 2. Who gets to decide? Consumer technology products and platforms As machines can decide and faster spread unfounded trust in the crumbling pillars than us how do we approach such widely in day-to-day situations. dilemma? Who will be accountable? The pone who made AI or the one who utilized this technology? BLURRED BOUNDARIES Are the increasingly smudged juncture The challenges of blurred boundaries: where machines and animals cross over Obtaining and understanding information into purely human realms. o We can get information easily but o Blurred boundaries between really difficult to understand not human and technology, specially knowing the source of such data the Artificial Intelligence Invisibility of AI o The functions of human are being o Who is accountable? taken over by the machines Companies do not disclose how their o Some of algorithms work We must stand our ethical ground by Lack of technological expertise to assess keeping humanity in front and center at information all times, and by assuming our exclusively  o We only feed information but do o We do not know what is right and not analyze if such information is wrong and will also become accurate and authenticated. distrustful Compromise our ability to see potential consequences over time, leading to Normalization of “Compromised Truth” blurred visibility. o No transparency Use of technology to falsify our physical appearances o Filters Apps Selecting the most convenient and COMPROMISED TRUTH desirable parts of our reality (i.e., How do we compromise truth? Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) – to create our story Lying o Showing the best side of your life Controlling access to information to social media o Companies Social media is curation. It is both an art Spinning falsehoods that better suit their form and a form of manipulation. narratives o We use creativity while also o We distort and twist the truth to fit masking the truth state of ourselves something The growing focus on “authenticity” Truth and Ethics Truth as the essential foundation for How do we fight for truth? ethical decision-making. Truth undergrids the framework and the We seek perspectives and fight for truth. allocation of responsibility for ethics… o ‘Analyze perspectives o It will make it difficult to make decisions Call on experts who can collect, analyze, When truth becomes an option, the whole and share their evidence and experience ethics edifice collapses. o Approach those who are knowledgeable. Compromised Truth or “Alternative Facts” Don’t make assumptions about whether something is either true or untrue. One of the most insidious and dangerous o Do not be bias but look at something global systematic risks of our time based on its face value then look for o If all of us no longer access with its contexts to analyze if such idea or the information, what happens to thing is true or untrue us? o There are times when truth are o It will lead to conflict several so this means that when Greatest threat to humanity something is true, it doesn’t o What kind of civilization it will be necessarily mean that others are if each and everyone of us has its untrue. own truths? o With this, we must be firm with our Topples our ability to make ethical truths and we must know where our decisions truth comes form. Undercuts our trust and our distinction between right and wrong  Don’t allow the complex reality on the edge to be a justification for compromising truth. Don’t confuse consensus with truth. o We should have true PVI and not just be satisfied with consensus but only seek the truth Don’t weaponize truth. o Number do not define truth Don’t expect truth to be convenient. Don’t confuse truth with imagination. o Gather facts and information Fight for truth. o We have to overcome with all criticisms o They live the truth that they believe\ Compromised truth degrades both memory and history. Truth is non-negotiable part of ethical decision- making that undergrids connections. Your and decisions must be bounded by truth If not, it may not be try and ethical Compromised truth is the great disconnector. ETHICAL DECISION MAKING Principles Values Information Truth Banished Binary, Scattered Power, Contagion, Crumbling Pillars, Blurred Boundaries will result into Compromised Truth If we can construct something, we can also deconstruct it.  Module 6: Classical Theories In Ethics Reliance upon a central repository of wisdom Emphasis is on central authority or set of THEORIES ON ETHICS: A SURVEY rules that guide individuals in their Oldest theory in Ethics is the Golden Rule. ethical decision making o Refers to our sacred books o Example: Bible Golden Rule: All about reciprocity Relativism The suspicion that there is no final appeal If you want others to do good to you, do and therefore the values and morality good to them practiced by a community can’t be dismissed as wrong or inferior to those “Do unto others as you would have them practiced elsewhere. (James Brusseau, do unto you, or treat others as you would 2012) like to be treated.” (Andrew Ghillyer, 2014) There is no universal definition of what is good Buddhism: “Hurt not others in ways that yourself would find hurtful.” Udana-Varga Actions must be judge by what individuals 5:18 feel or believe is right or wrong for themselves. Christianity: “Therefore all things o Choose what you think is right and whatsoever ye would that men should do wrong to you, do ye even so to them.” Matthew 7:12 Promotes open mindedness and tolerance. Hinduism: “This is the sum of duty: do o We have different values and beliefs naught unto others which would cause o Respect others ideals you pain if done to you.” Mahabharata 5:1517 There is no inferior or superior moral values Virtue Ethics “God is dead. I killed him.” – F. Nietzsche o It was Christianity that dictated their Commit ourselves to ideal, achieve them in day to day setting morality o Nietzsche seen this as something that will kill European culture – Herd A concept of living your life according to a morality commitment to the achievement of a clear o Sheep have bad eyesight yet acute ideal – what sort of person would I like to hearing, the one who has the bell in become, and how do I go about becoming its neck is followed by the other that person? sheep. He compared it to Christianity o Each and every individual must be given the independence and freedom Fundamentalism to determine his own morals and Goodness is universal values There is a universal definition of what is good  “I think, therefore, I am.” – R. Descartes Actions cannot be measured simply by o Cartesian doubt their results but must be judged by means o What you cannot doubt while you are and motives… doubting, therefore it is true o Acts that are evil or good in o One of the things that we cannot themselves doubt while doubting is doubting o “I” is conscious that you are doubting Morality of acts are judge not by their o Therefore, the one that is doubting is true, Therefore I am doubting consequences but by the motives… o Therefore I think therefore I am o The good ness/morality of the act o Morality is created by our reason must be defined on the execution or o Since you have reason, you can have act itself not the outcome of it. your own morality A person not only must achieve just results but also must employ the proper Utilitarianism means. o The means justify the ends, both must “Utility” – is a general term for usefulness be good, both ends and means and benefit. Perennial Duties Defines and goodness of an act based on the outcome and not the act These are basic obligations we have as human beings; they are fundamental rules The outcome matters, not the act. telling us how we should act. Basic morality duty in ourselves For the benefit of the greatest number of Doing good to ourselves people Duties to the Self o To develop our abilities and talents. A good or moral act is one that results in o To do ourselves no harm. the “greatest happiness for the greatest o Our duty to keep improving ourselves number.” Duties to Others o Avoid wrongdoing others Sacrificing a few is okay as long as the o Honesty many will benefit from it. o Respect others o Beneficence Assesses good and evil in terms of the o Gratitude consequences of actions. o Fidelity o Reparation Those actions that produce the greatest o Actions that are good in themselves net pleasure compared with net pain are better in a moral sense than those that produce less net pleasure. Immanuel Kant Morality is active and progressive Deontology o Establish tranquility ▪ He believes that humans are Literally means duty or obligation. morally autonomous Holds that certain underlying principles are right or wrong regardless of any pleasure or pain calculations.  o Those who believe in order for you to A FOUCAUDIAN READING OF PLATO’S APOLOGY be closer to God OF SOCRATES ▪ If you do not do good, it means that you actually do not believe in Him. Who Socrates was? ▪ They created morality in order to be closer to God Greek Philosopher Virtue of Ethics Categorical Imperative: For action to be moral, it (1) must be potentially be a …if you hear me making my defense in the universal law that could be applied same kind of language as I am consistently and… accustomed to use in the marketplace… o act only in accordance with that maxim through which you can at the …this is my first appearance in a lawcourt, at the age of seventy; I am therefore same time will that it become a simply a stranger to the manner of universal law speaking here… o Even if it helps others, do you want other people do something that you do as a universal action? The First Accusation NB: The first expression of the categorical “Socrates is guilty of wrongdoing in that imperative is a consistency principle. It he busies himself studying things in the forces us to ask how things would work if sky and below the earth; he makes the everyone else did what you’re considering worse into stronger argument, and he doing ((James Brusseau, 2012). teaches these same things to others.” (2) must respect the autonomy and Why he was accused? rationality of all human beings and not What has caused my reputation is none treat them as expedient. other than a certain kind of wisdom. o Treat humans as an end and never as What kind of wisdom? Human wisdom, a means perhaps. o All the things that we do, humans are …I certainly do not possess it, and not tools but someone that has whoever says I do is lying and speaks to dignity. slander me. o We must help each other to achieve our goals in the end What was Socrates’ wisdom? NB: This is a dignity principle: treat others with respect and as holding value “I am wiser than this man; it is likely that in themselves (James Brusseau, 2012). neither of us knows anything worthwhile, but he thinks he knows something when he does not, whereas when I do not know, neither do I think I know; so I am likely to be wiser than he to this small extent, that I do not think I know what I do not know.” o The wiser people are those who think that they do not know  o Mas wise yung tao na nagiisip na Why Socrates corrupted the young? wala silang alam compared to the person who says that they know …how you say that I corrupt the young; or something is it obvious from your deposition that it o Demonstration of humility results is by teaching them not to believe in the to hard work to learn more gods in whom the city believes but in other new spiritual things? “…those who had the highest reputation were nearly the most deficient, while those who were thought to be inferior What was Socrates’ explanation? were more knowledgeable.” Now you say that I believe in spiritual o In order for us to really know what is things and teach about them, whether good, we must addressed that we do new or old, but at any rate spiritual things not really know what is good according to what you say o We need to humbly accept this reality …But if I believe in spiritual things I must quite inevitably believe in spirits… Do we The Second Accusation not believe spirits to be either gods or the “Socrates is guilty of corrupting the young children of gods? and of not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other new spiritual things.” Why Socrates did not concede? Socrates was accused on corrupting the minds of the youth and that charges will What are the grounds? be dropped if he will retract his teachings …who improves the young men? – The laws. This is the truth of the matter, men of Athens: wherever a man has taken a …what person who has knowledge of the position that he believes to be best, or has laws to begin with? – These jurymen… been placed by his commander, there he must I think remain and face danger, without a thought for death or anything All the Athenians…make the young into else, rather than disgrace. fine good men, except me, and I alone o Kung ano ang pinapaniwalaan mo, corrupt them. panindigan mo o He did not retract his teachings o Capital punishment – drinking What was Socrates’ defiance? hemlock Either I do not corrupt the young or, if I do, it is unwillingly, and you are lying in “Men of Athens, I am grateful and I am either case. your friend, but I will obey the god rather that you, and as long as I draw breath and Now if I corrupt them unwillingly, the law am able, I shall not cease to practice does not require you to bring people to philosophy, to exhort you in my usual way court for such unwilling wrongdoings, but to point out to any one of you whom I to get hold of them privately, to instruct happen to meet: Good sir, you are an them and exhort them… Athenian, a citizen of the greatest city with the greatest reputation for both wisdom and power; are you not ashamed  of your eagerness to possess as much Four Ethical wealth, reputation and honors as possible, while you do not care for nor 1. What we know – humility give thought to wisdom or truth, or the 2. Harmony – practice what you preach best possible state of your soul?” 3. Care for the self – keep discovering the o To know the truth, you must act truth, based on the truth 4. Unexamined live is not worth living, know o Socratcic Harmony: you practice limitations and examine ourselves what you preach, you live a life based on your belief CONFUCIUS: HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS Why Socrates did not concede? Confucius life: Do not be angry for me for speaking the At the age of fifteen he set his mind on truth; no man will survive who genuinely learning. opposes you or any other crowd and prevents the occurrence of many unjust Fifteen years after, at the age of thirty his and illegal happenings in the city. A man life was properly grounded in the rules of who really fights for justice must lead a proper human relations. private, not a public, life if he is to survive for even a short time. At the age of forty, he encountered no difficulty in resolving moral dilemmas I did not follow that path that would have faced in life. made me of no use either to you or to myself, but I went to each of you privately At fifty he was able to understand the and conferred upon him what I say is the Commission from Heaven on the proper greatest benefit, by trying to persuade relations among heaven and earth and him not to care for any of his belongings human beings. before caring that he himself should be as good and as wise as possible…. At sixty, he was very obedient in receiving o Care for our lives the commands from Heaven. …if I say that it is the greatest good for a At the age of seventy he can follow his man to discuss virtue every day and those heart’s desires for such desires no longer other things about which you hear me lead him to overstep the boundaries of conversing and testing myself and others, the straight and narrow. for the unexamined life is not worth living for men, you will believe me even less. Confucius focused his learning on o “The unexamined life is not worth relationship, relationship between living” humans and the heaven and the earth. He o You examine your life because you focused his learning on relationship by want the truth and want to live trying to resolve moral dilemmas in his your life based on the truth life and by overcoming the desires of his o This is a care for yourself heart that are against the rules of proper human relations. o Will help us solve moral dilemmas in life rooted in relationships  He applied what he taught in his day to The Master says that sincerity is the root day life and made himself an example or of confidence and obedience (The model of what he taught. When criticized Doctrine of the Mean, XX: 17). And by two Taoist monks on teaching human sincerity can be attained if one turns his relations, thought into understanding what is good. o Confucius said, “It is not possible to o Sincerity is the root of confidence and associate with the birds and the obedience beasts as though they were human. If o Society will be harmonious if I don’t associate with other human someone is sincere and will result to beings, with whom shall I associate?” obedience as they respect and trust (Lun Yu 18:6) their leaders. As leaders use their knowledge to do good to them o You can only do good if you are Principle of Ren sincere The moral and ethical existence with “Sincerity is the way of Heaven. The human others is the foundation of stable attainment of sincerity is the way of men. and peaceful State and of a credible and He who possesses sincerity…hits what is trustworthy government. right, and apprehends, without the exercise of thought; - he is the sage who This was his solution to the problem of naturally and easily embodies the right political instability in Ancient China. This way. He who attains to sincerity, is he was his notion of an ideal State, a State who chooses what is good, and firmly that is founded on moral and ethical holds it fast” (The Doctrine of the Mean, human relations. XX:18). o Doing good will naturally come out The achievement of the ideal State must o Sincere people will stand up start not from the building of great institutions but from the transformation Sincerity is natural and acquired. A of individual people based on the natural sincerity results to intelligence principle of Ren. while an acquired sincerity results from o Set of rules that we have to follow intelligence which is a product of to become moral/ethical instruction. o To know if a person is ethical or o If sincerity is acquire, it is the moral one must have: product of schooling, a product of being knowledgeable o The more you learn, the more you Sincerity become sincere Firstly, it makes their thoughts sincere. “But given the sincerity, and there shall be The Master says, “Their knowledge being the intelligence; given the intelligence, complete, their thoughts were sincere” or and there shall be the sincerity” (The “Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, Doctrine of the Mean, XXI). they first extended to the utmost their knowledge” (The Great Learning, 4 and 5). A sincere thought does not allow Sincerity’s effect to man is not only the deception (The Great Learning, VI: 1). understanding of goodness and o You do not deceive other people attainment of knowledge and intelligence. o Product of knowledge, “the more you It also changed and transformed an learned, the more you should not individual person. deceive other people”  “Next to the above is he who cultivates to The governance of the State is dependent the utmost the shoots of goodness in him. on the regulation of family. From those he can attain to the possession of sincerity. This sincerity “It is not possible for one to teach others, becomes apparent. From being apparent, while he cannot teach his own family. it becomes manifest. From being Therefore, the ruler, without going manifest, it becomes brilliant. Brilliant, it beyond his family, completes the lessons affects others. Affecting others, they are for the State. There is filial piety: - changed by it. Changed by it, they are therewith the sovereign should be served. transformed. It is only he who is There is fraternal submission: - therewith possessed of the most complete sincerity elders and superiors should be served. that can exist under heaven, who can There is kindness: - therewith the transform” (The Doctrine of the Mean, multitude should be treated” (The Great XXIII). Learning, IX: 1). o Those who are sincere, are those who o Obedience through respect and not keep correcting themselves with fear o Cultivation – they gain more o This will be start with one person knowledge… who has sincerity. o Rectification – …to become better o Transforem to become a good person Good governance is not dependent on good institutions but on individuals with good values and virtues: the values of The perfection of knowledge also leads to knowledge and sincerity and the virtues the rectification of the heart and mind and of rectification and cultivation of persons. the cultivation of persons. The Master says, “Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their hearts “He who knows these three things, knows being rectified, their persons were how to cultivate his own character. cultivated” (The Great Learning, 6). Knowing how to cultivate his own o Being good is not just by learning but character, he knows how to govern other being sincere that cultivate and rectify men. Knowing how to govern other men, themselves as a result of gaining he knows how to govern the kingdom knowledge with all its States and families” (The Doctrine of the Mean, XX: 11).