BG 1403: Business

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BG 1403 Business Professional Ethics Seminar

• Chapter 5Solving Moral Dilemmas
• (2/1 before mid-term)

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Dilemma
A state of things in which evils or obstacles
present themselves on every side, and it is
difficult to determine what course to pursue a
vexatious alternative or predicament a difficult
choice or position.
An argument which presents an antagonist with two
or more alternatives, but is equally conclusive
against him, whichever alternative he chooses.
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Moral Dilemmas

• Issues/ problems/ situations which are neither
  black nor white. Solutions to the problems carry
  both right and wrong aspects.
• We need skills, guidelines, principles, and
  applications of theories to solve these problems.

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Steps to solve moral dilemmas

• Review the history/ background of the case
• Identify moral problems
• Translate to moral dilemma
• Identify stakeholders
• List all possible solutions
• Analyze each possible solution
• Describe how each solution affects stakeholders
• Consider legal issues concerned
• Consider moral issues concerned
• Evaluate competing possible solutions
• Choose the best solution
• Reason why it is better than other solutions.

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Gen. Frank Hummel
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Step 1 Review Case

• Gen. Frank has founded that the federal
  government did not pay attention to his demand
  for restitution to families of his fellow Marines
  who died in covert operations and were thereby
  denied compensation. He argued that it is unfair
  treatment as they also lost their life for the
  prestige of the country like other soldiers.
• He decided to plunder chemical weapons from state
  armory and stole some VX gas warheads.
• He and his fellow renegade marine commandos
  deployed chemical missiles on the San Francisco's
  Alcatraz Island and threatened bomb San Francisco
  Bay if the federal government did not respond to
  their demand 100 million US Dollars to be paid
  in ransom, as restitution to families of Marines
  who died in covert operations and were thereby
  denied compensation.

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Step 2 Identify Moral Questions

• What are the moral issues that the President is
  facing?
• What are possible solutions to the problem?
• What are the good points and undesirable points
  of each solution?
• What is the best solution according to your view?
  Why?

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Step 3 Translating to Moral Dilemmas

• The President wonders which one of the three is
  the best solution to deal with fugitives demand.
• The President has to choose the best among three
  possible solutions--
• 1) Pay 100 million dollars to the fugitives so
  as to save million life from VX-GAS missiles.
• 2) Send Zeal Unit to defuse VX-GAS missiles,
  kill the fugitives and save hostages.
• 3) Bomb the ROCK and kill all 81 innocent
  hostages and fugitives so to save million people
  in San Francisco.

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Step 4 Identify Possible Solutions

• Pay 100 million dollars to the fugitives so as to
  save million life from VX-GAS missiles.
• Send Zeal Unit to defuse VX-GAS missiles, kill
  the fugitives and save hostages.
• Bomb the ROCK and kill all 81 innocent hostages
  and fugitives so to save million people in San
  Francisco.

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Step 5 Identify Stakeholders

• Definition Persons, group of persons, or
  organizations or living and non-living things
  that have direct or indirect stake in the case
  under consideration and that can affect or be
  affected by the decision making.
• Stakeholders The President, the fugitives, 81
  hostages, hostages relatives, residents of San
  Francisco, Defense Department

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Step 6(a) Analyze Solution 1

• Pay 100 million dollars to the fugitives so as to
  save million lives from VX-GAS missiles.
• Impacts It is most likely that he could save
  lives of San Francisco residents, but he is
  encouraging terrorism.
• Law He needs an approval from the cabinet.
• Moral Rules It is a moral duty to protect
  rights to life to the civilians/ the innocent.

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Step 6(b) Analyze Solution 2

• Send Zeal Unit to defuse VX-GAS missiles, kill
  the fugitives and save hostages.
• Impacts Lives of innocent people can be saved
  and the fugitives will be punished. But it is
  not successful, life innocent people in San
  Francisco is in danger.
• Law It is a legal duty to maintain security
  for innocent civilians and punish wrongdoers.
• Moral Rules It is a moral duty to protect
  rights to life to the civilians/ innocent.

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Step 6(c) Analyze Solution 3

• Bomb the ROCK and kill all 81 innocent hostages
  and fugitives so to save million people in San
  Francisco.
• Impacts 81 innocent hostages are sacrificed to
  save lives of million people in San Francisco.
• Law It is Presidents duty and responsibility
  to maintain security for the public but he should
  not execute the innocent.
• Moral Rules It is morally wrong to execute the
  innocent.

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Step 7 Compare Competing Solutions

• Suggestion for good decision making
• Evaluate each possible solution by using reasons,
  evidence and principle rather than emotion,
  hearsay or social wave.
• Remember that the end does not justify the
  means.
• Greatest benefits to greatest number of people
  refers to benefits of the public as a whole.
• Rules are made for sake of man, but violation of
  rules arbitrarily leads to chaos and violation of
  human dignity.
• Greatest rules of all are the rule of justice
  that are embraced by love and empathy.

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The End Does not Justify the Means

• An evil action cannot be justified by reference
  to a good intention (cf. ccc no. 1759)
• The end does not justify the means.
• Using unethical means for attaining a good end
  cannot change its moral value.
• Doing a good deed with bad intention is a lie.
• A morally good act requires the goodness of its
  object, of its end, and of its circumstance
  together. (cf.ccc no.1760)

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Step 8 Choose the best possible solution

• Characteristics of a good solution
• Principle based and can be defended by reasons
  and principles
• Uphold good social values, love and unity of the
  society and maintains public benefits
• Base on good intention
• Fits in cultural environment
• Fit in ones conscience
• Be socially acceptable
• Comply with fundamental of society (rules of
  law), higher rules (ethical moral rules) and
  highest rules (rules of justice and love)
• Be compassionate the weak and the less
  advantaged.
• Be practicable.

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Step 9 Make sure it is the best solution

• Why it is better than other two competing
  probable solutions?

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Decision Making Based on Consequences
Utilitarianism

• An action is morally right
• If it produces the greatest good for the greatest
  number of people involved
• It the net benefits over costs are greatest (as
  compared to each possible solutions or greater
  than those of each alternative solution
• And considers its immediate and future direct and
  indirect benefits are greatest or greater than
  those of each alternative solution for each
  individual affected.

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Guidelines for conducting cost/benefit analysis

• 1. Define how costs and benefits will be
  measured.
• 2. Include all social, economic and monetary
  costs and benefits into consideration
• 3. Consider both long-term and short-term costs
  and benefits.
• 4. Define what information needed to determine
  costs and benefits.
• 5. Identify procedures and policies that
  justifies cost/benefit.
• 6. State assumptions in justifying the analysis
  and conclusions.
• 7. Ask what moral obligations are relevant.

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Problems with Consequence Consideration

• -- What the good to be maximized, who will
  decide, for whom, and for whose interests.
• What if the action is wrong in itself but it
  brings about desirable consequences?
• How to measure non-monetary costs and benefits.
  
• What if actual or even potential harmful effects
  cannot be measured in the short term?
• The individual is lost in the collectivism.
• The principles of justice, equality and rights
  are sometime sacrificed for benefits.
• The projection into the outcomes that will emerge
  in the future can be mistaken.

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Decision Making Based on Moral Rules Kantian
Ethics/ Deontological Norms

• An action is morally right if.
• It conforms to the universal moral principles
  (the principles that can be applied to all
  similar cases, at all time and to all people)
• The people affected by the decision are treated
  as an end and never as means only
• The action is performed as a fulfillment of ones
  duty not as a means to gain benefits or to get
  return.

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Two Types of Moral Rules

• Hypothetical Imperatives
• If you want to get help when you are in trouble,
  you have to learn to help other people when they
  need your hand.
• Categorical Imperatives
• It is a moral responsibility that everyone of us
  have to lend our hand to the less advantaged.

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Examples of Moral Principles

• Non-Harm Principle
• Welfare Principle
• Principle of Autonomy
• Principle of Informed consent
• Principle of Confidentiality

• Truth Telling Principle
• Principle of Parentalism
• Fidelity Principle
• Due Process Principle
• Utility Principle
• Principle of Justice

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Applying Moral Rules

• Identify stakeholders their needs, their rights,
  their claims and their interest.
• Identify moral rules concerned and adhere to
  moral rules strictly.
• Treat each human being as person of equal dignity
  who deserves justice, fairness and respect.
• Never use even one person as a means for the
  betterment/ success of the others.
• Provide participants with true information they
  need for good decision making.
• Avoid coercion, violation, manipulation and
  discrimination.
• Allow the agent choose his/her best solution.

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Problems with Deontology

• Deontological theory gives no format for
  prioritizing rules and duties when they conflict.
  
• Deontological theory does not clarify the notion
  of a person.
• Deontological theory contains an element of too
  rigidity to absolute rules.

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BG 1403 Business Professional Ethics Seminar
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