Ethical Decision Making: Your Moral Conscience

Summary

This video script by Global Ethics Solutions delves into the importance of establishing a moral and ethical worldview in the workplace. It emphasizes the necessity of acknowledging the existence of right and wrong and finding a balance between adhering to moral principles and exercising practical judgment. The script advocates for recognizing and acting upon the guidance of one's conscience, and it distinguishes between moral absolutes and relativism. It argues for the adoption of moral absolutes as a foundation for ethical behavior, suggesting that these universal standards are essential for a successful and principled life, both professionally and personally.

Takeaways

• 📌 Understanding the existence of right and wrong is crucial for ethical decision-making in the workplace.
• 🌟 Balancing moral principles with practical judgment is key to maintaining a morally balanced life.
• 🔍 Your conscience, influenced by self-awareness and moral beliefs, guides your ethical choices.
• 🚫 Ignoring your conscience can lead to ethical missteps, so it's important to listen and act on its guidance.
• 🤔 Moral absolutes provide a stable framework for ethical behavior, unlike moral relativism which can be unstable and subjective.
• 🏛 Society relies on a shared set of moral absolutes, such as honesty and integrity, for the functioning of laws, families, and culture.
• 🌐 Recognize that moral absolutes are universal and not just a matter of personal or cultural preference.
• 💡 Ethical balance involves integrating core values like honesty, truth, and integrity into all aspects of life.
• 🔄 Perspective is essential for ethical decision-making, allowing you to see the bigger picture within a principled framework.
• 🔄 Accepting responsibility for ethical shortcomings and making efforts to improve is part of being ethically balanced.
• 🛡 Your character, as a moral anchor, should remain constant regardless of circumstances, guiding your actions.

Q & A

What are the two key steps in understanding one's moral and ethical worldview according to the script?

The two key steps are: 1) Deciding whether there is a concept of right or wrong, and 2) Knowing how to apply these moral principles, either by obeying every rule strictly or allowing personal discretion and situational context to define what's right or wrong.

Why is it important to have a clear stance on the existence of right and wrong in a professional setting?

In a professional setting, having a clear stance on right and wrong is crucial because it guides one's work choices and attitude. Employers and society expect individuals to affirm the existence of moral standards to ensure ethical conduct in the workplace.

What role does one's conscience play in making ethical decisions?

One's conscience plays a pivotal role in making ethical decisions by providing a self-awareness of one's behavior and measuring it against deeply held moral beliefs. It acts as an internal guide to distinguish right from wrong.

How can one ensure they are listening to their conscience and not just their emotions?

To ensure one is listening to their conscience, they must learn to discern the still, small voice of truth from their emotions. It is critical to pay attention to the warnings of the conscience, especially when making choices that could be unethical.

What is the significance of morality in holding laws, families, and culture together?

Morality is significant because it provides a shared sense of right and wrong that underpins the stability and cohesion of laws, families, and culture. It is not a negative term but a necessary guide for ethical living.

What is the difference between moral absolutes and moral relativism as discussed in the script?

Moral absolutes are principles that are considered universally right or wrong, independent of situation or context. Moral relativism, on the other hand, holds that ethics are based on the situation and that morals can change over time, denying the existence of absolute moral truths.

Why should ethical relativism be rejected in the workplace according to the script?

Ethical relativism should be rejected in the workplace because it undermines the foundation of ethical behavior by suggesting that morals can change based on circumstances. This can lead to inconsistent and potentially harmful decisions.

What are some examples of moral absolutes mentioned in the script?

The script mentions that stealing, lying, and doing harm to others are considered moral absolutes, as they are universally recognized as wrong across different societies and cultures.

How can one become ethically balanced in a morally complex business world?

To become ethically balanced, one should integrate moral absolutes like honesty, truth, and integrity into all aspects of life, both on and off the job. This involves reducing emotional and self-interested rationalizations, taking responsibility for ethical shortcomings, and maintaining a consistent character as a moral anchor.

What are the four keys to ethical balance suggested by the script?

The four keys to ethical balance are values, perspective, responsibility, and character. Values are the fundamental principles one lives by; perspective allows for flexible and morally principled interpretation; responsibility is the effort to change and improve; and character is the consistent moral anchor that doesn't change with circumstances.

Outlines

00:00

🧘‍♂️ Ethics in the Workplace: Balancing Morality and Practicality

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of having a clear moral and ethical worldview in the workplace. It outlines two key steps for understanding one's ethics: first, deciding whether there is an absolute right or wrong, and second, knowing how to apply these principles in various situations. The paragraph suggests that a balance between moral principles and practical judgment is crucial for success and personal integrity. It also highlights the role of conscience in guiding ethical decisions and the importance of listening to and acting on its warnings. The discussion touches on the discomfort some may feel with the terms 'moral' and 'morality,' but argues that these concepts are essential for maintaining the structure of laws, families, and culture. The paragraph concludes with a call to consider moral absolutes over moral relativism, asserting that universal moral standards like honesty and integrity are foundational to ethical living.

05:01

🌟 Achieving Ethical Balance: Values, Perspective, Responsibility, and Character

The second paragraph focuses on achieving ethical balance through four key components: values, perspective, responsibility, and character. It stresses the necessity of having core values that guide one's ethical decisions and actions. Perspective is described as the ability to interpret and analyze situations within a moral framework, allowing one to see the bigger picture and act ethically within it. Responsibility is portrayed as the commitment to recognizing and correcting ethical shortcomings, while character is the consistent moral anchor that should remain unchanged regardless of circumstances. The paragraph ends with a call to action for individuals to integrate these elements into their lives, both professionally and personally, and to move away from self-interest and rationalization towards a more ethically grounded existence.

Keywords

💡Ethical worldview

An ethical worldview refers to an individual's or society's perspective on what is morally right or wrong. In the context of the video, it is the foundation upon which one makes ethical decisions and judgments. The script emphasizes that to engage with the topic of ethics, one must have a clear stance on the existence of right and wrong, which is integral to one's ethical worldview.

💡Conscience

Conscience is an individual's inner sense of right and wrong, which guides moral behavior. The video suggests that everyone has a conscience that helps in making ethical decisions by comparing ethical options against one's moral beliefs. It is portrayed as a 'still, small voice' that can be heard over emotions, especially when making bad choices.

💡Moral absolutes

Moral absolutes are principles that are considered universally right or wrong, regardless of circumstances. The video argues for the existence of moral absolutes in society, such as the wrongness of stealing, lying, and harming others. These are presented as constants that should guide ethical behavior in the workplace and beyond.

💡Moral relativism

Moral relativism is the philosophical stance that moral principles are not absolute but are based on social norms and change over time. The video critiques this view, suggesting that it undermines ethical decision-making in the workplace. It posits that relativism should be rejected in favor of a more absolute moral framework.

💡Ethical balance

Ethical balance refers to the equilibrium between adhering to moral principles and exercising practical judgment in ethical dilemmas. The video stresses the importance of finding a balance between living by solid moral principles and using good judgment and practicality to navigate complex situations.

💡Self-awareness

Self-awareness, in the context of the video, is the ability to recognize and understand one's own behavior and emotions. It is crucial for ethical decision-making as it allows individuals to measure their actions against their moral beliefs and make choices that align with their ethical standards.

💡Legalism

Legalism is the strict adherence to rules or laws without considering the context or spirit behind them. The video contrasts legalism with a more balanced approach to ethics, suggesting that ethical decision-making should not be reduced to mere rule-following but should involve situational judgment and personal discretion.

💡Responsibility

Responsibility, as discussed in the video, involves accepting accountability for one's actions and making efforts to improve ethically. It is part of the process of becoming ethically balanced, where individuals are encouraged to take responsibility for their shortcomings and strive for positive change.

💡Character

Character in the video represents the true moral identity of a person, which remains constant regardless of circumstances. It is the underlying moral anchor that should guide behavior and decision-making. The script encourages individuals to ensure that their character is a reflection of their moral absolutes.

💡Values

Values are the fundamental principles that guide an individual's actions and decisions. The video emphasizes the importance of having deeply held core values that are ethical, such as honesty, truth, and integrity. These values should be integrated into all aspects of life, both personal and professional.

💡Perspective

Perspective, in the context of the video, refers to the ability to view situations within a morally principled framework, allowing for flexible and ethical interpretation and analysis. It is about seeing the bigger picture and making decisions that align with one's ethical values and principles.

Highlights

There are two key steps in understanding your moral and ethical worldview: acknowledging the existence of right and wrong, and knowing how to apply it.

Public work choices and attitude must take a clear stand on the philosophical argument of right and wrong.

Balance is crucial between living by moral principles and using practicality in facing dilemmas.

Our conscience, driven by self-awareness and moral beliefs, helps make ethical decisions.

Listening to your conscience is essential, especially when making bad choices.

Morality is necessary for practical discussions of ethics; it holds laws, families, and culture together.

Moral absolutes versus moral relativism is a key debate; relativism suggests ethics are based on situational norms.

Moral absolutes are a reality in the workplace and should not be undermined by relativism.

Society shares common moral beliefs, indicating the presence of moral absolutes.

Stealing, lying, and harming others are universal social moral absolutes that are wrong.

The challenge is to maintain moral absolutes in a busy and morally complex business world.

Integrity, honesty, and truth should be integrated into all aspects of work and life.

Emotion and self-interest should be removed to prevent rationalization and unethical behavior.

Accept responsibility for ethical shortcomings and strive for improvement.

Character should remain a constant moral anchor, unaffected by changing circumstances.

Four keys to ethical balance are values, perspective, responsibility, and character.

Values are the fundamental principles that guide ethical living.

Perspective allows for flexible and morally principled interpretation and analysis.

Transcripts

brought to you by global ethics

solutions

[Music]

there are two key steps in getting to

the heart of your moral and ethical

worldview that you must get past in

order to fully consider this topic

first you land one side or the other

regarding the age-old philosophical

argument that asks is there really any

right or wrong

although you are certainly free to

believe however you want in private your

public work choices and attitude must

take a clear stand on the issue when you

show up for work in the morning your

employer and our society expects that

you have answered this question in the

affirmative

second you have to know how to apply it

do you obey every rule to the point of

legalism or do you allow the situation

and your personal discretion to define

what's right or wrong

it's really about balance you must

strive for a good balance between living

your life by solid resolute moral

principles and using a healthy measure

of good judgment and practicality in

facing your dilemmas

having a good handle on these two topics

will make you morally balanced mentally

and spiritually balanced and more

successful in your job

in the introduction of this course it

was stated that we all have ethics

because we all have a conscience we use

it to make ethical decisions your

conscience tells you right from wrong it

does this because you have a

self-awareness of your behavior and then

you measure it by your deeply held moral

beliefs in short you know that you and

your conscience compares your ethical

options against your moral beliefs

so the question is

what do we do with it your conscience is

there but the fact remains that you can

lose your ability to hear it over time

listening to your conscience and not

just relying on your emotions is

something that you have to learn

it is especially critical that you hear

the warnings of your conscience when

you're making a bad choice it may not be

the loudest thing you hear but a still

small voice that you can barely make out

but you know is the truth

of course when you hear your conscious

speaking you must take the next step and

act appropriately keep in mind that the

words moral and morality sometimes make

people uncomfortable if you feel

uncomfortable try to understand why it

is absolutely necessary to use those

terms in a practical discussion of

ethics ethics without a sense of

morality is meaningless and empty think

about how a sense of morality holds our

laws

families and culture together it's not a

dirty word but something that every

person has and needs to guide their

ethical lives

[Music]

let's talk about moral absolutes versus

moral relativism

relativism is a philosophical position

that maintains that there are truths and

values but denies that they are absolute

it believes that ethics is based on the

situation that there are no moral rights

and wrongs that right and wrong is based

on social norms and that morals change

over time now ask yourself these

questions imagine you lived and worked

in a world that was devoted of moral

absolutes

what kind of society would it be would

you want to live and work in a place

that only had a morally relative

position on everything

let's fact the facts moral absolutes are

a reality that must be dealt with in the

workplace you must live in the here and

now and not in the philosophical realm

the bottom line is that ethical

relativism undermines the whole thing

and should be rejected

understand that moral absolutes are

everywhere our society shares a

surprising amount of common moral

beliefs you can see the evidence all

around you no matter what our

backgrounds beliefs or experiences our

basic moral standards of right and wrong

we are much the same there are moral

absolutes and not social norms

stealing is wrong

lying is wrong doing harm to others is

wrong

these universal social moral absolutes

have stood the test of time

[Music]

the challenge for you is to grab on to

moral absolutes in a busy hectic morally

mushy business world take a good look at

yourself and get ethically balanced take

things like honesty

truth and integrity seriously and

integrate them into everything you do

both on and off the job get rid of the

emotion and self-interest that leads to

rationalization

stop thinking about yourself and start

looking outward stop making excuses and

accept responsibility

moral absolutes are not your enemy

relativism is and it usually hurts you

rather than helps you

so if you want to become ethically

balanced consider these four keys

values perspective

responsibility

and character

values are the fundamental principles

that you live by that make you ethical

you must have deeply held core values

that show themselves in your everyday

decisions perspective requires the

ability to be flexible and interpreting

and analyzing things within a morally

principled framework

you are able to see the big picture and

work within it ethically balanced people

accept responsibility for their ethical

shortcomings and make a genuine effort

to change for the better responsibility

is an effort to do what it takes to

change and move forward don't forget

that your character is the real you

behind the facades and outward

appearances your character should not

change with the circumstance but be a

constant moral anchor

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