Three Ethical Frameworks

1
Three Ethical Frameworks

• Jumpstarting Your Reasoning
• about Ethical Issues and Dilemmas

2
The Reference Librarian and the Cop
3
What Makes This an Ethical Dilemma?

• Tough Choices Struggles over the Right Thing to
  do in public, professional and personal life
• Tests of Character Struggles over ones virtue
  under pressure over issues of right and wrong
• Right vs. Wrong Moral temptation
• Right vs. Right Ethical dilemmas

4
Four Dilemma Paradigms

• Truth vs. Loyalty
• Individual vs. Community
• Short-term vs. Long-term
• Justice vs. Mercy

5
What Would You Do and Why?
6
Ends-Based Thinking
7
Ends-Based Perspective

• Utilitarianism Greatest good for greatest number
• Who will be hurt who helped and the intensity
  of help
• Teleological About consequences what works best
  
• Big Question How can one ever know the
  consequences of our actions?

8
Reason/Rule-Based Thinking
9
Reason/Rule-Based Perspective

• Ethical Formalism Its the soundness of the
  reason, the rule, one derives that matters
  regardless of consequences
• Categorical Imperative Testing the soundness of
  ones reasoning
• Deontological Duty to follow the reason/rule
• Big Question What about our emotions and our
  relations with others?

10
Care-Based Thinking
11
Care-Based Thinking

• Communitarianism As social beings we act on the
  needs of others
• Reversibility Its about your capacity to put
  yourself in the other persons shoes
• Golden Rule Action-oriented doing onto others
  what you would like them to do to you
• Big Question Who is the other and what are the
  boundaries of community?