Ethics

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Ethics
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Motivation

• Ethics are rules of conduct.
• Today, you'll learn about
• Making ethical decisions
• The U.S. Air Forces core values

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Lesson overview

• What are personal standards?
• What is a value system?
• What are the core values of the U.S. Air Force?
• How are morals and ethics defined?
• What are cultural rules?

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Lesson overview (contd)

• How are ethical decisions made?
• What are the traits of an ethical person?
• What are the ethical traits of leaders?
• What are moral courage and maturity?
• What is a personal code of conduct?

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Quick Write

• Jot down three personal guidelines you would
  use to decide whether it would be right or wrong
  to take a specific action.

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What is ethics?

• Ethics
• Branch of philosophy
• Rules of conduct
• Study of peoples most basic beliefs
• Ethics deals with the struggle between good and
  evil.
• Conducta key word when discussing ethics

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What is ethics? (contd)

• Four basic rules of ethics have endured.
• Do good avoid evil.
• Be fair and equitable.
• Respect the dignity of all people.
• Be autonomous (self-governing).

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What is ethics? (contd)

• Guidelines derived from the four basic rules of
  ethics
• Be honest.
• Keep promises.
• Obey and be loyal to proper authorities.
• Be courageous.

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What is ethics? (contd)

• Grow in knowledge.
• Be willing to work.
• Be moderate.
• Maintain and enhance your health.
• Do not harm people.

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What is ethics? (contd)

• Habits
• Most of our moral beliefs are based on habits we
  learned as children.
• Habits can affect reputation, social status,
  finances, and overall sense of well-being.

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What is ethics? (contd)

• Not all habits are right.
• Habits are right when they are ways of helping
  ourselves and others.
• Good habits help us develop our best potential
  and respect peoples basic rights.

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What is ethics? (contd)

• Decisions seemingly unrelated to ethics may have
  an ethical aspect.
• Scientists mix harmless chemicals to create
  disposable plastic containers.
• This is helpful for restaurants for take-out
  service.
• But plastic may harm the environment.
• Ethical dilemma which do we value more?
• The convenience of the disposable containers
• The environment

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What is a value system?

• Value system
• Set of ideals, beliefs, interests, likes,
  dislikes
• Ideals we use every day to make decisions
• Involves freely chosen behavior
• Involves beliefs that are very personal to each
  of us

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What is a value system?

• Our military has its own set of values.
• Applies to all members of the Air Force family
• The core values of the U.S. Air Force are
  Integrity First, Service before Self, and
  Excellence in All We Do.

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What is a value system? (contd)

• Integrity First
• Willingness to do right even when no one is
  looking
• Moral compass, inner voice of self-control
• Basis for the trust needed in todays military
• Service before Self
• Professional duties over personal desires
• Excellence in All We Do
• Passion for continuous improvement and innovation

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What is a value system? (contd)

• Four types of values
• Personal
• Prudent
• Conventional
• Moral

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What is a value system? (contd)

• Personal guiding our conduct
• Prudent serving our best interests
• Conventional generally accepted and enforced
• Moral rooted in a comprehensive view of human
  life

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How are morals and ethics defined?

• Ethics
• Set of accepted rules of conduct
• Written or stated
• Morals
• Refers to our behavior
• Often a substitute for the word ethics

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How are morals and ethics defined? (contd)

• Moral code of Western society
• Based on Greek and Roman philosophy
• Based on the Judeo-Christian ethic
• The Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule
• Rules have evolved over thousands of years.
• Some rules take the form of laws.
• Laws against murder and arson
• Others are moral standards.
• Laws against breaking promises or gossiping

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What are cultural rules?

• Every culture has morals, values, and a concept
  of basic human rights.
• Customs, habits, and institutions vary from one
  culture to another.
• What is right in one culture may be considered
  wrong in another.
• Groups, such as family, school, and JROTC, also
  set moral codes.

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How are ethical decisions made?

• Systematic process for making tough decisions
• Consider all the facts.
• Determine the moral values or obligations at
  stake.
• Act or make decisions in light of your knowledge
  of the values and facts.
• Be respectful of the life and well-being of all
  people.

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How are ethical decisions made? (contd)

• Universal normsthe normal beliefs of people in
  most cultures
• All cultures do not look at the same actions in
  the same way.
• Without rules or norms, institutions would
  crumble.
• Non-universal normsnorms that do not carry
  universal moral obligations
• These include duties specific to ones religion.
• One should not impose personal obligations on
  others.

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How are ethical decisions made? (contd)

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UN
  adopted in 1948)
• Every citizen of every nation has the right to
• Life, liberty, and freedom from personal attack
• Freedom from slavery
• Recognition before the law
• Presumption of innocence until proven guilty
• Freedom from torture

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How are ethical decisions made? (contd)

• Freedom of conscience and religion
• Freedom of expression
• Privacy, family, and correspondence
• Freedom to participate freely in community life
• Education
• A standard of living adequate for health and
  well-being

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How are ethical decisions made? (contd)

• Values are also used to make decisions.
• Values can be at odds with each other.
• Spend tax dollars for defense or social programs?
• Decisions should be based on doing the most good.
• Greatest value for military is the public good.
• Personal values may conflict.

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How are ethical decisions made? (contd)

• What are situational ethics?
• The circumstances of a situation help form the
  basis for deciding what is right or wrong.
• What is appropriate in this situation?
• What is fitting in this case?

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How are ethical decisions made? (contd)

• Example If we were shot down behind enemy lines,
  we might have to lie or steal to survive.
• We might be forced to choose a course of action
  that would violate our code of ethics and our
  sense of values.

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What are the traits of an ethical person?

• A person with a refined sense of ethics has
• Consideration for other peoples feelings and
  needs
• Integrity
• Honor

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What are the ethical traits of leaders?

• Leaders influence others to achieve goals.
• Leadership decisions are based on many factors.
• Each profession has a set of standards (moral or
  otherwise).
• A leaders actions must help accomplish the goals
  of the organization.
• Right actions, or right choices, build confidence
  and self-respect and earn the respect of those
  affected by the actions.

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What are the ethical traits of leaders? (contd)

• Twelve questions to help you make right choices
• If I do what Im thinking of doing, would I be
  willing to have my action enacted into law and
  required of everyone?
• If I am considering using someone else for my own
  personal gain, would I allow myself to be used in
  the same way?
• Would I be willing to explain to a jury why I
  chose this action?

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What are the ethical traits of leaders? (contd)

• Would I do this if I knew it would be on the
  television news tonight?
• What would I think of this action if it were done
  by my worst enemy?
• If my reason for acting this way is that everyone
  else does it, would I do it if no one else did
  it?
• Would I do this if I knew I would have to explain
  my reasons to my family?
• Would I be content with this action if it were
  taken by my boss or a member of my family?

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What are the ethical traits of leaders? (contd)

• Would I be content to have each of my followers
  behave exactly as I intend to in this situation?
• My team could win the game by violating a rule.
  Before I call this play, would I be upset if the
  other team took the same action?
• If what I do hurts no one very much, would I be
  willing to let everyone do the same thing?
• If there is very little harm in what I want to
  do, what kind of person will I become if it gets
  to be a habit?

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What are moral courage and maturity?

• Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence defined moral
  courage this way
• To know right from wrong
• To possess a firm set of values
• To possess the strength to live by those values
  and do what is right regardless of the
  consequences

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What are moral courage and maturity? (contd)

• Cadets already possess
• A conscience
• A sense of justice
• A personal code of conduct

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What are moral courage and maturity? (contd)

• Consciencethe awareness of a desire to act
  properly and the awareness of guilt when improper
  actions are committed or intended
• Is not automatic
• Is the product of knowledge and intelligence
• Is strengthened as knowledge increases and we
  become more sensitive to human values
• Strengthens our moral courage
• Allows us to be confident without being rigid and
  overbearing

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What is a personal code of conduct?

• A personal code of conduct is a list of reminders
  that causes us to practice right behavior.
• State rules positively.
• Use I will statements.
• Living by a code of good conduct has its rewards.
• Developing good habits
• Fewer occasions to have to apologize
• Greater self-esteem
• The respect of others

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Lesson review

• Personal standards are decisions based on ethics.
• Ethics consists of the rules of conduct that
  people should follow.
• A value system consists of our set of ideals,
  beliefs, interests, likes, and dislikes that we
  use every day to make decisions.

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Lesson review (contd)

• The core values of the U.S Air Force are
  Integrity First, Service before Self, and
  Excellence in All We Do.
• The word morals is another word for ethics.
• There is a systematic process to help you make
  ethical decisions.

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Lesson review (contd)

• Universal norms are the normal beliefs of people
  in most cultures.
• In 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal
  Declaration of Human Rights.
• Traits of an ethical person are integrity, honor,
  and consideration for other people's feelings and
  needs.

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Lesson review (contd)

• Leaders are admired for their ability to motivate
  others to achieve goals.
• Moral courage is knowing right from wrong having
  a firm set of values and having the strength to
  live by those values and do what is right
  regardless of the consequences.

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Lesson review (contd)

• The key to developing moral courage and maturity
  is the ability to set goals and achieve them.
• A personal code of conduct is a list of reminders
  that causes us to practice right behavior.

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Summary

• What are personal standards?
• What is a value system?
• What are the core values of the U.S. Air Force?
• How are morals and ethics defined?
• What are cultural rules?
• How are ethical decisions made?
• What are the traits of an ethical person?
• What are the ethical traits of leaders?
• What are moral courage and maturity?
• What is a personal code of conduct?

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Next

• Done Ethics
• Next Common courtesies and etiquette