Ethics: Exploring Decision-Making Frameworks for Meaningful Lives - Paper Example

Introduction

Ethics revolves around the practice and the discipline of applying value to human beings and developing a human culture of customs, morality, and laws resulting in meaningfulness. The discipline of ethics has always exhibited several fundamental approaches, commonly referred to as ethical decision-making frameworks. These approaches include communitarian ethics, virtual ethics, utilitarian ethics, and many other approaches, such as the Golden rule and Christian ethics. Each of these ethical frameworks has distinctive ways of doing ethical tasks of raising and answering questions of value. Besides, most of these frameworks have common elements such as rationality, consistency, reversibility, and impartiality. As such, this paper will critically analyze all ethical approaches to determine their strengths and weaknesses.

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Utilitarianism and Negative Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that examines what is right and what is wrong, depending on the outcomes. This approach further points out that the most ethical opinion or choice is the one that ensures good for the greatest number. Besides, this theory acts as the most effective approach for moral reasoning in a business since it accounts for benefits and costs. More so, it justifies war or military force. Therefore, utilitarianism acts as the most reason-based approach to determine what is right and wrong. However, this approach has a weakness, especially when it comes to accounting values for individual rights and justice. This approach also cannot be applied effectively since one cannot predict the future; hence it is challenging to know whether the consequences of the actions will be good or bad. I would use this theory in the case of business based on the benefits and costs of a business.

The Golden Rule

This approach is based on the moral principle of treat others the way you would want to be treated. This golden rule acts as an essential philosophical principle which has been formulated by many groups in history. This approach can further be formulated in three main ways, which include the directive form, the prohibitive form, and the responsive form. People tend to be exposed to different forms of the golden form at a different degree based on predominant factors such as religion in society. However, all these forms lie under a similar intention that suggests one should treat other people better by acting as a guide of the way they would want to be treated.

The golden rule principle has its strengths and weaknesses. The strengths include the provision of reasonable decisions where the literal rule applies. This principle also allows a judge to choose the most sensible judgments. However, the principle can be described as the greatest flaw in modern society because it is strongly individualistic and can present a great setback in a diversified community. Moreover, the principle conflicts with other principles since its application can lead to undesirable outcomes. I am an ardent advocate of this principle because I love being treated fairly, just like I treat other people.

The Categorical Imperative

The categorical imperative is under Kantian Ethics by the German Philosopher Immanuel Kant, who was an opponent of utilitarianism. Kant argued that some actions such as murder, lying, and thefts were prohibited even in cases where they would bring happiness (Kantian Ethics). Therefore, Kant’s categorical imperative states that the rightness or wrongness of actions does not depend on consequences, but instead, it focuses on duty fulfillment. The categorical Imperative also has three main formulations, and the first one states that people should act on a specific maxim that can be declared to become a universal law (Fieser, 2017). In this case, a maxim is a rule or a principle, which everyone should agree upon. Hence, the formulation can be used to mean that one should not be allowed to do anything that he/she would not be willing to allow other persons to do so.

This approach is effective since it shows what is right and wrong in giving us moral guidelines. More so, it allows equal treatment of individuals to get rid of bias when it comes to decision making. Another strength of this theory is that action comes from intrinsic rightness, which implies that teleological ethics are avoided. However, the theory fails to account for human life complexities. The theory fails to explain what should happen if two absolutes clash. This approach is effective, and I would apply in a scenario where I am required to give judgment.

Virtual Ethics

Virtual ethics is described as a major approach to normative ethics. The theory emphasizes moral character or virtues in contrast to other theories that focus on rules or consequences of the action. This approach by Aristotle is mainly based on the virtue of being human. This assertion means Aristotle did not consider ethics a philosophical topic of study, but instead, he considered ethics as understanding how people behave. Therefore, he described ethics using a practical approach, and his ideas on ethics were based on what people did and how virtues influenced their actions. The major strength of virtual ethics is that it involves the holistic view of human nature, which is applied through practical wisdom. Another strength is that the approach is character-based, which means it maps on moral reasoning. It motivates everyone to work on morality, unlike other theories, which highlights what should be done when one is in an ethical dilemma. However, critics of the theory say this approach lacks focus when it comes to examining actions that are permitted or are acceptable. The other weakness of this approach is that it is challenging to determine the nature of virtues. This approach helps determine the nature of other people and expectations on how they are likely to treat us.

Nash Covenantal Business Ethics

Most corporate leaders urge the need for high ethical standards in the business. Besides, the covenantal ethics of business places intrinsic worth and energy of individuals above the preordained financial strategies and the mechanics of an organizational system. This ethical approach in business means that there is a need to ask oneself what is happening, the changing needs, and wants of people to serve as a compass in the guiding process. Thus, businesses require covenantal relationships to share ideas, values, and goals in the management process. The main strength of this approach is to increase the capability of long-term profits since the Nash covenantal ethic focuses on the relationship between consumers and employees to build trust and increase the capability to ensuring long term contracts. However, the approach points a major weakness in business because it is challenging to conceptualize the long term vision of the competition. Besides, the approach is mainly allocable in the service and retail industries where effective customer relationships can be built. I would apply this approach in case I am running any form of business, which involves interacting with customers or clients.

Damon’s Moral Identity

Damon’s four dimensions of moral identity are classified as Generative, Restrictive, Philanthropic, and restrictive (Damon, 2006). Emphatic morality, in this case, focuses on the golden rule and perspective-taking to build collaborative relationships with clients, partners, employees, among many other stakeholders. Restrictive morality, on its part, hinges on ethical considerations to avoid disreputable and damaging practices. Generative morality further focuses on moral imagination to create innovative practices and initiatives. Finally, philanthropic morality focuses on charitable activities to share profits in a worthy cause. These dimensions of moral identity ensure all aspect solutions in business are provided. The four dimensions connect all essential aspects in a business, and the decisions of leaders are much easier to communicate. However, the four dimensions emphasize moral actors of their sense, which means if moral actors are weak or low in self-awareness, then the dimensions are likely to fail. The premise of this perspective is that due to its affiliation with business, managers can use the moral identity to enhance better decision making.

Christian Ethics for Business

Christian ethics in business have been applied for quite some time. This trend dates backs in the thirteen century with noteworthy developments in the following century (Melé & Fontrodona, 2017). Christian faith and reasons intertwine to bring about guidelines and criteria that bring relevance to economic activities. Besides the intertwining of Christian faith, moral reason gives Christians moral theology to respond to human reasons. Hence, moral theology is a reflection of morality with the good and the bad of the human act. This approach ensures the making of significant and constructive dialogue based on moral theology and human reasons. However, at times, Christian ethics can be restrictive, depending on the type of business. In every business that I am part of, I would uphold all the necessary Christian ethics.

Conclusion

All ethical approaches have their unique reasoning. More so, they all have specific strengths and consequences. Based on all the above ethical approach, I favor virtual ethics most because it is based on how humans behave. This approach is not dependent on the outcome or specific laws. It also incorporates other theories, such as the Golden rule, since humans want to be treated in a just manner.

References

Damon, W. (2006). The Moral Advantage: How to Succeed in Business by Doing the Right Thing. Flylib. https://flylib.com/books/en/2.209.1.13/1/

Fieser, J. (2017). The Categorical Imperative. UTM. https://www.utm.edu/staff/jfieser/class/300/categorical.htm

Kantian Ethics. https://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/gaskilld/ethics/kantian%20ethics.htmMelé, D., & Fontrodona, J. (2017). Christian Ethics and Spirituality in leading Business Organizations: Editorial Introduction. Journal of Business Ethics, 145(4), 671-679. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-016-3323-3#:~:text=Christian%20ethics%20applied%20to%20economics%20and%20business%20has%20a%20long%20tradition.&text=Christian%20faith%20and%20reason%20intertwine,with%20relevance%20for%20economic%20activity.