Virtue ethics Essay Example for Free

Virtue ethics EssayToday the Arms Procurement Commission began public hearings into what appears to be the biggest corruption scandal in the muniment of South Africa. Apply the Global Business Standards Codex and explain if and how the Defense De department used these article of beliefs, what they could have d iodine differently if the Codex was utilize GLOBAL BUSINESS STANDARDS CODEX. Fiduciary Principle (Diligence, Loyalty) Property Principle (Protection, Theft) Reliability Principle (Contracts Premises, Commitments) Transp bency Principle (Thruthfulness, Deception, Disclosure, Objectivity) Dignity Principle (Respect for the Individual, Health and Safety, Privacy and Confidentiality, employment of Force, Associatiation Expression, Learning Development, Employment Security) Fairness Principle (Fair Dealing, Fair Treatment, Fair Competition, Fair Process) Citizenship Principle (Law Regulation, open Goods, Cooperation with Authorities, Political Noninvolvement, Civic Co ntribution Responsiveness Principle (Addressing Concerns, Public Involvement). LEARNING OBJECTIVES (TOPIC 3) After completion of this topic, you bequeath be able to 1. Describe the main ethical theories and apply it to business scenarios iStockphoto. com/Dan Bachman honorable THEORIES Three periods in history of ethics Greek period (500 BC-AD 500) The man who performed his duties as a citizen = better man Greeks Man is the measure of all things he decides for himself what is right and amiss(p) Socrates, Plato and Aristotle accent the need and importance of understanding the nature of goodness Stoics emphasised that goodness is natural to man, laws of righteousity atomic number 18 the laws of nature rational and comprehensive to human reason.ETHICAL THEORIES Medieval period (AD 500 AD 1500) Attention was given to inner aspect of morality due to spread of Christianity Changed Greeks view that ethics is a part of politics The standard of right and legal injury was according to Gods law in the Bible and was against any doubts ETHICAL THEORIES Modern period (AD 1500 onwards) individuality more important that priests preaching and church principles Human freedom and human accomplishments more important than the Christian revelation The difference between right and wrong was subjective, depending on the attitude of the individual making the moral judgement ETHICAL CONCEPTS THEORIES. Developed by moral philosophers over generations to distinguish ethical from unethical doings Viewpoints from which guidance can be obtained along the pathway to a decision Each theory emphasizes different points in order to reach an ethically square up decision Theories are directed towards achieving a common set of goals (Ethical principles) ETHICAL CONCEPTS THEORIES ETHICS DEFINED The domain of ethics is centrally concerned with human showcase (the kind of people we are) and CONDUCT (how we relate to others) Three key questions comprise the focus of t his domain 1. 2. What is good or bad for humans? What constitutes right or wrong conduct? 3.How ought we to live and treat others? ETHICS OF CONDUCTS CONSEQUENTIALISM The rightness/wrongness of an accomplish is determined by its consequences or results The right action is the one that Promotes the sterling(prenominal) happiness of the sterling(prenominal) number ( mottoizes social utility) = Utilitarianism Produces results that maximise a soulfulnesss selfinterest = Ethical Egoism CONSEQUENTIALISM UTILITARIANISM Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) Creator of Utilitarianism Goodness = human well-being what benefits is good and what harms is evil Two concepts of importance Pleasure and pain reigns our lives Pleasure makes vivification happier and pain makes it worse Utility net benefits.and usefulness produced by an action An action is right if the act is greater than the sum total of utilities produced by any other act Hedonistic Calculus system to measure amount of delec tation and pain that an action produces CONSEQUENTIALISMUTILITARIANISM 7 Criteria Questions Asked 1. Intensity How intense/strong is the pleasure and emotional satisfaction? 2. Duration How long will the pleasure last? 3. induction How certain am I that pleasure will occur?4. Propinquity How soon will the pleasure occur? How near is it? 5. Fecundity How likely is it that this father will cause more pleasure in the future? 6. Purity Is there any pain that accompanies this pleasure? 7. Extent How whatever(prenominal) people will be affected? CONSEQUENTIALISMUTILITARIANISM. John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) qualitative separation of pleasures Bentham treats all forms of happiness as equal, whereas Mill argues that intellectual and moral pleasures (higher pleasures) are superior to more physical forms of pleasure (lower pleasures) Mills argument is that the simple pleasures tend to be preferred by people who have no experience with high art, and are therefore non in a proper position to judge.CONSEQUENTIALISM ACT AND RULE UTILITARIANISM Rule Utilitarianism an action is right if it conforms to a set of rules which produce the greatest balance of pleasure over pain Act Utilitarianism an action is right if and only if it produces the greatest balance of pleasure over pain for everyone CONSEQUENTIALISM ETHICAL self-seeking Ones self is, or should be, the motivation and the goal of ones own action Three categories individual, personal, and universal ?An individual ethical egocentric would hold that all people should do whatever benefits them ? A personal ethical egoist would hold that he or she should act in his or her self-interest, but would make no claims about what anyone else ought to do ? A universal ethical egoist would argue that everyone should act in ways that are in their self-interest CONSEQUENTIALISM All is well that ends well, careless(predicate) of means used to produce results End justifies the means NON-CONSEQUENTIALISM DEONTOLOGY Emphasis on rules, duty, rights Actions are right if they respect rules and wrong if they violate them Golden rule Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (human dignity, respect for people, obligation, duty) DEONTOLOGY. Morality and ethics are to be undersas welld as systems of rules meant to govern and guide conduct Deontological ethical theories are agent-relative as opposed to agent neutral you have a duty If an action is of the wrong kind, it is forbidden, no librate how good its consequences are Rejects both Utilitarianism and Ethical Egoism DEONTOLOGY KANTIANISM Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) Ends, not holy means dont treat rational agents (others or yourself) as mere objects to be used or exploited Categorical imperative everyone should be case-hardened as a free person equal to everyone else (unconditional) Everyone has a moral right to such treatment and a correlative duty to treat others in this way Mustnt sacrifice the few even to benefit the many DEONTOLOGY KANTIANISM. Performing an action solely because it is our duty is what Kant refers to as a good will being good without qualification Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will it that it should become a universal law of nature offers consistency DEONTOLOGY NATURAL LAW AND pitying RIGHTS Another approach to Deontology and complementary to Kantianism Natural rights ? Right to freedom/ liberty freedom from coercive powerful rulers ? Right to ownership and property each person has a right to ownership over own body and own labour and is free to decide what will be done with what he or she owns, without interference NATURAL LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS. Moral rights by virtue of being human Each right has a corresponding duty and these duties whitethorn be perfect or imperfect Rights play an important role in business ethics stakeholders have rights Many rights however come into involution and it is difficult to decide whose rights receives p riority (victims or criminals) DEONTOLOGY JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS Fair and equitable distribution of opportunities and hardships to all Ask how fairly benefits and costs are distributed to everyone regardless of power, position, wealth, etc. Seven categories ?Distributive Justice concerned with fair distribution of societys benefits and burdens ? Cooperation and competition taking a proper share of some good ? Procedual justice fair, decisive practices, procedures and agreements among parties DEONTOLOGY JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS.? Retributive Justice just imposition of punishment and penalties upon wrong-doers does the punishment fit the crime ? Compensatory justice compensating people for losses they have suffered when they were wronged by others losses due to Apartheid ? Corrective justice laws themselves as instruments of justice should be considered as just ?Distribution take into account who has suffered an unjust share of the costs of a policy and others who have unf airly benefitted from a policy RAWLS PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE All social values liberty and opportunities, income and wealth, and the bases of self-respect are to be distributed equally unless unequal distribution of any, or all of these values, is to everyones advantage.Two principles Basic freedoms Freedom of speech, liberty and pursuit of happiness Difference principle -There can be inequalities as long as it makes the worst person better off DEONTOLOGY The end doesnt justify the means. ETHICS OF CHARACTER peripateticism VIRTUE APPROACHES Examines a persons moral character and whether or not this exhibits virtue Aristotle a moral virtue is a habit that enables one to exercise reason in all actions Action of giving people goods they exactly deserve is justice (virtue) or giving too little/ too much is injustice (vice) Virtues are means to and constituents of happiness Virtue ethics makes being virtuous an essential element of leading a moral life SUMMARY ETHICAL THEORIE S Utilitarian Model.? When confronted with an ethical quandary Identify alternative courses of action Determine both benefits and harms of each alternative course of action for each stakeholders Most benefits and least harm to the greatest number of people ? The Utilitarian Model has a strong capitalistic orientation and supports Profit maximisation expedience Rewarding hard work Weakness Focus Competition on outcome rather ? Focus of ethical behaviour is around than process which top executive be Organisational/ Public Services goals unethical Efficiency Conflicts of interest ETHICAL THEORIES Moral Rights Model ? When confronted with an ethical dilemma Identify if any decision or behaviour violates the rights of an individual If it does, it is wrong Weakness Focus only ?Focus of ethical behaviour is around on individual Right to safety and not societal rights Right to know the truth Right to privacy Right not to engage in behaviours that are contradictory to a pe rsons moral or religious beliefs Right to freedom of speech ? Provides clear guidelines on moral individual rights ETHICAL THEORIES Justice Model ?When confronted with an ethical dilemma Identify if any decision or behaviour violates the rights of both individuals and groups If it does, it is wrong ? Focus of three principles Distributive Justice Principle ? Everyone needs to be treated the same, unless they differ in ways which are reliant to the situation Fairness Principle ? Obligations as a result of relationships Natural Duty Principle ? accept responsibility in exchange for certain rights Any questions?