WHAT IS ETHICS:

Ethics provides a set of standards for behavior that helps us decide how we ought to
act in a range of situations. In a sense, we can say that ethics is all about making
choices, and about providing reasons why we should make these choices.

Ethics is sometimes conflated or confused with other ways of making choices,

including religion, law or morality. Many religions promote ethical decision-making but
do not always address the full range of ethical choices that we face. Religions may
also advocate or prohibit certain behaviors which may not be considered the proper
domain of ethics, such as dietary restrictions or sexual behaviors. A good system of
law should be ethical, but the law establishes precedent in trying to dictate universal
guidelines, and is thus not able to respond to individual contexts. Law may have a
difficult time designing or enforcing standards in some important areas, and may be
slow to address new problems. Both law and ethics deal with questions of how we
should live together with others, but ethics is sometimes also thought to apply to how
individuals act even when others are not involved. Finally, many people use the terms
morality and ethics interchangeably. Others reserve morality for the state of virtue
while seeing ethics as a code that enables morality. Another way to think about the
relationship between ethics and morality is to see ethics as providing a rational basis
for morality, that is, ethics provides good reasons for why something is moral.

Environmental Moral Framework

Decisions about right and wrong permeate everyday life. Ethics should concern all
levels of life: acting properly as individuals, creating responsible organizations and
governments, and making our society as a whole more ethical. This document is
designed as an introduction to making ethical decisions. It recognizes that decisions
about right and wrong can be difficult, and may be related to individual context. It
first provides a summary of the major sources for ethical thinking, and then presents
a framework for decision-making.
FRAMEWORKS FOR ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING:

Making good ethical decisions requires a trained sensitivity to ethical issues and a
practiced method for exploring the ethical aspects of a decision and weighing the
considerations that should impact our choice of a course of action. Having a method
for ethical decision making is essential. When practiced regularly, the method
becomes so familiar that we work through it automatically without consulting the
specific steps. This is one reason why we can sometimes say that we have a moral
intuition about a certain situation, even when we have not consciously thought
through the issue. We are practiced at making ethical judgments, just as we can be
practiced at playing the piano, and can sit and play well without thinking.
Nevertheless, it is not always advisable to follow our immediate intuitions, especially
in particularly complicated or unfamiliar situations. Here our method for ethical
decision making should enable us to recognize these new and unfamiliar situations
and to act accordingly.

The more novel and difficult the ethical choice we face, the more we need to rely on
discussion and dialogue with others about the dilemma. Only by careful exploration of
the problem, aided by the insights and different perspectives of others, can we make
good ethical choices in such situations.
Types of Framework

Based upon the three-part division of traditional normative ethical theories discussed
above, it makes sense to suggest three broad frameworks to guide ethical decision
making:

1. The Consequentialist Framework

2. The Duty Framework
3. The Virtue Framework.

While each of the three frameworks is useful for making ethical decisions, none is
perfectotherwise the perfect theory would have driven the other imperfect theories
from the field long ago. Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of the frameworks
will be helpful in deciding which is most useful in approach the particular situation with
which we are presented.

The Consequentialist Framework

In the Consequentialist framework, we focus on the future effects of the possible

courses of action, considering the people who will be directly or indirectly affected. We
ask about what outcomes are desirable in a given situation, and consider ethical
conduct to be whatever will achieve the best consequences. The person using the
Consequences framework desires to produce the most good.

Among the advantages of this ethical framework is that focusing on the results of an
action is a pragmatic approach. It helps in situations involving many people, some of
whom may benefit from the action, while others may not. On the other hand, it is not
always possible to predict the consequences of an action, so some actions that are
expected to produce good consequences might actually end up harming people.
Additionally, people sometimes react negatively to the use of compromise which is an
inherent part of this approach, and they recoil from the implication that the end justifies
the means. It also does not include a pronouncement that certain things are always
wrong, as even the most heinous actions may result in a good outcome for some
people, and this framework allows for these actions to then be ethical
The Duty Framework

In the Duty framework, we focus on the duties and obligations that we have in a given
situation, and consider what ethical obligations we have and what things we should
never do. Ethical conduct is defined by doing ones duties and doing the right thing,
and the goal is performing the correct action.

This framework has the advantage of creating a system of rules that has consistent
expectations of all people; if an action is ethically correct or a duty is required, it would
apply to every person in a given situation. This even-handedness encourages treating
everyone with equal dignity and respect.

This framework also focuses on following moral rules or duty regardless of outcome,
so it allows for the possibility that one might have acted ethically, even if there is a bad
result. Therefore, this framework works best in situations where there is a sense of
obligation or in those in which we need to consider why duty or obligation mandates
or forbids certain courses of action.

However, this framework also has its limitations. First, it can appear cold and
impersonal, in that it might require actions which are known to produce harms, even
though they are strictly in keeping with a particular moral rule. It also does not provide
a way to determine which duty we should follow if we are presented with a situation in
which two or more duties conflict. It can also be rigid in applying the notion of duty to
everyone regardless of personal situation.
The Virtue Framework

In the Virtue framework, we try to identify the character traits (either positive or
negative) that might motivate us in a given situation. We are concerned with what kind
of person we should be and what our actions indicate about our character. We define
ethical behavior as whatever a virtuous person would do in the situation, and we seek
to develop similar virtues.

Obviously, this framework is useful in situations that ask what sort of person one
should be. As a way of making sense of the world, it allows for a wide range of
behaviors to be called ethical, as there might be many different types of good character
and many paths to developing it. Consequently, it takes into account all parts of human
experience and their role in ethical deliberation, as it believes that all of ones
experiences, emotions, and thoughts can influence the development of ones
character.

Although this framework takes into account a variety of human experience, it also
makes it more difficult to resolve disputes, as there can often be more disagreement
about virtuous traits than ethical actions. Also, because the framework looks at
character, it is not particularly good at helping someone to decide what actions to take
in a given situation or determine the rules that would guide ones actions. Also,
because it emphasizes the importance of role models and education to ethical
behavior, it can sometimes merely reinforce current cultural norms as the standard of
ethical behavior.
Difference between the framework

By framing the situation or choice you are facing in one of the ways presented above,
specific features will be brought into focus more clearly. However, it should be noted
that each framework has its limits: by focusing our attention on one set of features,
other important features may be obscured. Hence it is important to be familiar with all
three frameworks and to understand how they relate to each otherwhere they may
overlap, and where they may differ.

The chart below is designed to highlight the main contrasts between the three
frameworks:

Because the answers to the three main types of ethical questions asked by each
framework are not mutually exclusive, each framework can be used to make at least
some progress in answering the questions posed by the other two. In many situations,
all three frameworks will result in the sameor at least very similarconclusions
about what you should do, although they will typically give different reasons for
reaching those conclusions.

However, because they focus on different ethical features, the conclusions reached
through one framework will occasionally differ from the conclusions reached through
one (or both) of the others.

APPLYING THE FRAMEWORKS TO CASES:

When using the frameworks to make ethical judgments about specific cases, it will be
useful to follow the process below.

Recognizing an Ethical Issue

One of the most important things to do at the beginning of ethical deliberation is to
locate, to the extent possible, the specifically ethical aspects of the issue at hand.
Sometimes what appears to be an ethical dispute is really a dispute about facts or
concepts. For example, some Utilitarians might argue that the death penalty is
ethical because it deters crime and thus produces the greatest amount of good with
the least harm. Other Utilitarians, however, might argue that the death penalty does
not deter crime, and thus produces more harm than good. The argument here is over
which facts argue for the morality of a particular action, not simply over the morality
of particular principles. All Utilitarians would abide by the principle of producing the
most good with the least harm.

Consider the Parties Involved

Another important aspect to reflect upon are the various individuals and groups who
may be affected by your decision. Consider who might be harmed or who might
benefit.

Gather all of the Relevant Information

Before taking action, it is a good idea to make sure that you have gathered all of the
pertinent information, and that all potential sources of information have been
consulted.
Formulate Actions and Consider Alternatives
Evaluate your decision-making options by asking the following questions:

Which action will produce the most good and do the least harm? (The Utilitarian
Approach)

Which action respects the rights of all who have a stake in the decision? (The Rights
Approach)

Which action treats people equally or proportionately? (The Justice Approach)

Which action serves the community as a whole, not just some members?
(The Common Good Approach)

Which action leads me to act as the sort of person I should be? (The Virtue
Approach)

Make a Decision and Consider It

After examining all of the potential actions, which best addresses the situation? How
do I feel about my choice?

Act
Many ethical situations are uncomfortable because we can never have all of the
information. Even so, we must often take action.

Reflect on the Outcome

What were the results of my decision? What were the intended and unintended
consequences? Would I change anything now that I have seen the consequences?
CONCLUSIONS:

Making ethical decisions requires sensitivity to the ethical implications of problems and
situations. It also requires practice. Having a framework for ethical decision making is
essential. We hope that the information above is helpful in developing your own
experience in making choices.
Reference

1. This framework for thinking ethically is the product of dialogue and debate in
the seminar Making Choices: Ethical Decisions at the Frontier of Global
Science held at Brown University in the spring semester 2011. It relies on the
Ethical Framework developed at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at
Santa Clara University and the Ethical Framework developed by the Center for
Ethical Deliberation at the University of Northern Colorado as well as the Ethical
Frameworks for Academic Decision-Making on the Faculty Focus website
which in turn relies upon Understanding Ethical Frameworks for E-Learning
Decision-Making, December 1, 2008, Distance Education Report (find url)

2. Primary contributors include Sheila Bonde and Paul Firenze, with critical input
from James Green, Margot Grinberg, Josephine Korijn, Emily Levoy, Alysha
Naik, Laura Ucik and Liza Weisberg. It was last revised in May, 2013