Allisa Bell
Concordia University - Portland Personal Ethics Statement: Ethical Foundations
The key characteristics of an ethical framework describe the code of conduct that an individual utilizes to best interact with others and their community. My own ethical characteristics incudes being honest, fair, compassionate, courageous, patient, and generous. This most aligns with the Virtue Theory developed by Plato and Aristotle that encompasses characteristics of most of the other ethical theories (Hinman, 2002).
Theoretical Position Comparison To better understand how my key ethical characteristics fit into Virtue Theory, it is crucial to explain the three main theoretical categories. The …show more content…
The questions are the framework that would help me to determine if I am fulfilling my ethical goals to abide by the Virtue Theory since each answer a vital piece of one of the other theories. The questions include the following:
What's in it for me, what decision or action would lead to the greatest good for the greatest number, what rules, policies and social norms - written or unwritten - apply in this situation, what are my obligations to others, and what will be the long-term impact for myself and important stakeholders (Rossy, 2011, para. …show more content…
Palmer (2004) describes this as becoming closer to wholeness by recognizing one’s true identity and not hiding beliefs for fear of ridicule. By answering whether a decision would lead to the greatest good, this embraces the Utilitarianism Theory to determine if an action will lead to a happier community (Rossy, 2011). The third question considers if the choice follows the defined principles or laws, while the fourth question is concerned with trust, obligations, and reciprocity (Rossy, 2011). Finally, the last question determines the long-term impact to myself and others (Rossy, 2011). In every project I analyze at work, I have to determine the answers to these questions to ensure the project is truly something our department should consider establishing.
Rationalization Impact
Despite the best of intentions, it is vital to avoid rationalizations that can have a negative impact on ethical decision-making. A bad ethical decision can especially destroy the trust I have built with my co-workers and hinder my ability to encourage innovative changes. However, this should not be confused with my earlier statement of making a rational decision since rationalizations are concerned with justifying a decision usually after the fact instead of making an informed decision