Hosted
by
Dr. William J. Frey
Mountain
Terrorist
Problem
Solving
Ethics Tests
Contracts and
Consent
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What is Consequentialism or Utilitarianism?
Shoot one in order to save
nineteen falls under this ethical
approach.
Row 1, Col 1
What is Problem Specification?
One way of beginning this stage
is to classify the problem as a
disagreement, conflict, or
harm.
1,2
What is Reversibility?
This ethics test telescopes
non-consequentialism. It asks us
to view the action under consideration from the standpoint of those
affected by it.
1,3
What is the right of Free and Informed Consent?
Students exercise this right when
they understand the terms of
a course and exercise an uncoerced choice as to whether to
continue or drop it.
1,4
What is Non-consequentialism or Deontology?
The choice not to shoot a villager
and to leave the village
best fits this ethical approach.
2,1
What is Solution Implementation?
In this stage to problem-solving
we examine our solution in terms
of resource, interest, and technical
constraints the situation could
impose.
2,2
What is the harm test?
This test has us assess an action
in terms of its likely harms. We
then choose that alternative
that minimizes harm.
2,3
What is the Quid Pro Quo?
This element of a social contract
refers to its mutually beneficial
exchange, the something for
something clause.
2,4
What is Virtue Theory or Virtue Ethics?
You choose under this approach
not to shoot the villager because
murder (killing an innocent
person) is not, given who you are,
the kind of thing you would do.
3,1
What is Solution Testing?
In this stage of problem-solving
we use reversibility, harm, and
publicity to assess the ethics of
our solution alternatives.
3,2
What is the publicity test?
In this test we associate the agent
with the moral quality of the act
under consideration. Then we
ask if we would want to be
publicly associated with this
action.
3,3
What are the elements of a Social Contract?
Quid pro quo, informed consent,
free consent, and a safe exit.
3,4
What is a Dilemma?
A forced choice between two
equally bad alternatives.
4,1
What is solution generation?
In this stage of problem solving,
we set aside criticism until we
reach our quota. (This is a part
of brainstorming.)
4,2
What is the Reversibility Test?
This test balances two kinds
of projection, an empathic projection where we lose ourselves
in the perspective of the other
and an advisory test where we
occupy the other’s standpoint
but maintain awareness of our
own values and principles.
4,3
What are Environments of the Organization?
These enable and constrain the
activities of a business organization
or firm
4,4
What is “Funny Business”?
Those of you who rejected the
dilemma frame given with the
Mountain Terrorist Exercise
fit into this category.
5,1
What is a conflict or value conflict?
In this class or type of problem
key values clash with one another
and it appears difficult or impossible to realize both at the
same time.
5,2
What is the Harm Test?
This test encapsulates or
summarizes the consequentialist or
utilitarian ethical perspective.
5,3
What is a “Work Around”?
When blocked by a value or
structured embodied in physical
surroundings, we develop a
strategy that allows us to
continue acting
5,4
More on Consequentialism
• In consequentialism, the moral worth of an
action is determined by its results.
• In Utilitarianism (a form of
consequentialism) we try to design actions
that maximize good results and minimize
bad results.
• This is called a “utility-maximizing” action.
Problem Specification
• You can begin specification by classifying
your problem as a disagreement (factual or
conceptual), a conflict (between two or
more values), or an impending harm.
• You can also specify your problem by
identifying the values at risk in a given
situation. For example, David Jackson must
act to preserve his integrity as a professional
engineer.
Reversibility
• In an advisory projection, we enter into the
standpoint of another but we retain our values and
view the other’s perspective from a detached
standpoint.
• In an empathic projection, we completely immerse
and lose ourselves in the perspective of the other.
• Consider “reversing with Hitler”
– In empathically reversing with Hitler, I take on all his
immoral beliefs and attitudes.
– In an advisory projection with Hitler, I retain my
understanding that these are immoral. I maintain a
critical distance.
Informed Consent
• We will study this right in four contexts this
semester:
– Students can exit from a course if they fail to find the
exchange goods and burdens of mutual benefit
– Subjects of experiments should be informed of,
comprehend, and consent to the benefits and risks
attending participation
– Patients should be informed of, comprehend, and
consent to the risks attendant upon medical procedures.
This includes risk assessment information
communicated effectively and coupled with the manner
in which patient perceive risks
– The right to opt in to—and not merely opt out of—the
transfer to third parties of their personal identifying
information.
Deontology
• In Non-consequentialism, the moral worth
of an action lies in its formal characteristics,
not in its consequences.
– Deontology, a form of non-consequentialism,
evaluates an action by seeing whether it
conforms to a rule of right or duty.
– Rights and duties hold regardless of
consequences
– These protect individuals and minorities
because rights and duties can overrule or trump
welfare.
Feasibility Test
• A feasibility test provides a list of situation constraints that
could possibly oppose the realization of a solution
• The goal here is to anticipate these possible obstacles and
work quickly to deflate them
• Constraint checklist:
– Resources—Is there enough time, resource, and money to realize
the solution? If not, can these constraints be pushed back through
negotiation?
– Interests—Are their vested interests (supervisor, organization,
government) that could oppose your solution. Can these be pushed
back through negotiation?
– Technical—Are there affordable technologies or manufacturing
techniques to facilitate the realization of your solution or are these
lacking?
Harm Test
• The harm test “incapsulates”
consequentialism because it focuses
solution design and solution evaluation on
the results, this time results that are risky or
harmful.
• This test works best when you are
comparing solutions
– The question, “Which is the least harmful
solution, A, B, or C?” is more useful than the
question, “Is A a harm-minimizing solution?”
Virtue Ethics
• A virtue is an “active exercise of the
faculties of the soul, in conformity with
excellence or virtue, during a complete
lifetime.” (Barbara Jancar, The Philosophy of Aristotle, Monarch Notes, 143)
– The Greek word for virtue, arete, is better translated as excellence.
– The excellence targeted by a virtue is best found by aiming for the
mean between two extremes, one of excess, the other of defect
– Courage is the mean between the extremes of cowardice and
recklessness
– Responsibility is the mean between too much responsibility (taking
responsibility for more than one can handle) and too little
repsonsibility (irresponsibility)
– Virtue ethics focuses on the character of the agent rather than the
characteristics of the action performed by the agent
Alternatives for Publicity Test
• Values Test: What values are realized or
preserved by the solution under
consideration?
• Moral Exemplar or Mentor Test: What
would my mentor or someone I admire as
an exemplar do in this situation
• Virtue Test: What virtues does this solution
realize or what would a person with X
virtue do in this situation?
Dilemma
•
•
•
•
Dilemma comes from two Greek words.
Di means two
Lemma means solution or alternatives
A dilemma is literally a forced choice
between two equally bad alternatives
• When confronted with a dilemma, the best
strategy is to dissolve rather than solve.