Final Discussion Question from Ethics Leadership and Democracy, Brandman University: Definition of Ethics

Q: Now that you've sat through eight weeks of discussion, explain your definition of "ethics." This should be a more substantial definition than “doing the right thing”. Has it changed at all? What ethical perspective or principles do you most closely align with, e.g. Utilitarianism: Greatest good for the greatest number. Why?

A: In all honesty, I cannot say my definition has changed. I still believe that ethics are applying the standards of right and wrong to our actions. I will say that I see now that I identify most with Utilitarianism when making personal decisions, and when making decisions related to broader social questions like public policy and how I will vote, I tend to follow Rawls Justice as Fairness precepts (Johnson, 2012, p. 20-29). I still look to my values of compassion, integrity, service, and excellence as touchstones for my decisions. Of course the legal and moral frameworks inform and guide.

I suppose I am lucky in that I have traveled extensively before and after I went in to the workforce. It led me to study history and philosophy, and gave me an appreciation of how important culture is in determining the stories we live in. Our choices are driven by them. In discussing the stories we live in and choices, Sheena Iyengar, Psycho-economist said:

Instead of replacing one story with another, we can learn from and revel in the many versions that exist and the many that have yet to be written. No matter where we're from and what your narrative is, we all have a responsibility to open ourselves up to a wider array of what choice can do, and what it can represent. And this does not lead to a paralyzing moral relativism. Rather, it teaches us when and how to act. It brings us that much closer to realizing the full potential of choice, to inspiring the hope and achieving the freedom that choice promises but doesn't always deliver. If we learn to speak to one another, albeit through translation, then we can begin to see choice in all its strangeness, complexity and compelling beauty (2010).

We must listen differently, with an understanding of how we listen. This course has given me new frameworks for observing myself, and the organizations of which I am a part, and that is most valuable.

References:

Johnson, C. E. (2012). Organizational Ethics: A Practical Approach (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Iyengar, S. (2010, July). Sheena Iyengar: The Art of Choosing. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing#t-477065