Ethical Systems Table:
- Fill in brief definitions of each primary ethical theory.
- Identify alternate names or variations of each ethical system based on your reading of the text and supplemental materials.
- Match the real-world examples listed below with the corresponding systems. The first one has been completed for you in the table.
Real-World Examples
A. I believe people should be able to eat sand if they like the taste of it.
B. I believe that if sand is going to be eaten, it should be available for everyone to eat.
C. I believe people should be able to eat sand because it is the right thing to do.
D. I believe people should be able to eat sand because it is good for one's health.
E. I believe people should be able to eat sand if they decide they want to, regardless of whether it is someone else's sand.
F. I believe people should be able to eat sand if they want to because they are free to make the decision themselves.
G. I believe I will eat sand because it is the standard meal for my community.
- Develop your own workplace example that fits with each system. Present each workplace scenario in a substantial paragraph of approximately 40 words. Although the table field will expand to accommodate your workplace examples, you may list them at the end of the table; make a note in the table to see the attached examples, however, so your facilitator knows to look for scenarios below the table.
- Format references consistent with APA guidelines and include them after the table.
|
Theory/System and Brief Definition
|
Other Names
|
Real-World Example
|
Workplace Example
|
|
Duty-based ethics
Regardless of consequences, certain moral principles are binding, focusing on duty rather than results or moral obligation over what the individual would prefer to do (Treviño & Nelson, 2011, Ch. 2).
In ethics, deontological ethics, or deontology (Greek: deon meaning obligation or duty), is a theory holding that decisions should be made solely or primarily by considering one's duties and the rights of others. Some systems are based on biblical or tenets from sacred.
|
Deontology, pluralism, moral rights, rights-based
Categorical imperative
Golden rule
|
C. I believe people should be able to eat sand because it is the right thing to do.
|
It is my duty to follow through with instructions my boss gives me, even if I do not agree with the concept. It is my moral obligation to respect authority figures.
|
|
Consequence-based ethics
|
|
|
|
|
Rights-based ethics
|
|
|
|
|
Human nature ethics
|
|
|
|
|
Relativistic ethics
|
|
|
|
|
Entitlement-based ethics
|
|
|
|
|
Virtue-based ethics
|
|
|
|
References
Treviño, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2011). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.