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Lesson 8

We will continue to expand our knowledge of ethics and its philosophical underpinnings by introducing another ethical approach, connecting it to the previous approaches studied, and examining codes of ethics from various organizations to see how ethical approaches are applied.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I develop and clearly communicate meaningful and defensible claims that represent valid, evidence-based analysis of issues and concepts related to ethics?

  • Can I formulate and use questions to establish and deepen my understanding of key terms and concepts related to ethics?

  • Can I express an accurate understanding of the central ideas of texts related to ethics?

  • As we discuss issues and ideas related to ethics, can I pay attention to others, acknowledge them, and thoughtfully consider their ideas?

Texts

Core

  • Unit Reader
    • “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making,” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University, 2015

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Write – Discuss

We will return to the ethical approach from the previous lesson and complete our Ethical Approach Note-Taking Tool to summarize and describe its advantages and disadvantages.

With a group, read and annotate the Fairness or Justice Approach section from “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making,” using your Learning Log and discussion notes from the previous class to complete a row for the fairness or justice approach in your Ethical Approach Note-Taking Tool. Remember, your goal here is to do the following for each approach:

  1. Name the approach and individuals who have shaped it.

  2. Summarize the approach in two to three sentences.

  3. Describe the benefits of the approach.

  4. Describe the potential problems with the approach.

As a group, discuss your notes and thoughts about the approach.

Activity 2: Read – Write

We will learn about the common good approach and relate it to other ethical approaches.

Now, on your own, read and annotate the section The Common Good Approach from “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making” and this quote from Newsweek columnist Robert J. Samuelson:

We face a choice between a society where people accept modest sacrifices for a common goal or a more contentious society where groups selfishly protect their own benefits.

In your Learning Log, respond to the following questions:

  1. Based on the description of the approach and the quote, what is the common good?

  2. How do interlocking relationships of society help to form this basis for ethical decisions?

  3. How is this approach similar to the fairness or justice approach? How is it similar to the utilitarian approach?

Be prepared to share your responses in a whole-class discussion.

Activity 3: Read – Discuss

In groups, we will examine an organizational code of ethics and apply our understanding of ethical approaches to make connections between that code of ethics and ethical approaches.

In your group, you are going to be assigned a code of ethics from an organization. A code of ethics is a document adopted by an organization to assist members in understanding the difference between right and wrong and in applying that understanding to their decisions. Read the code of ethics assigned to your group and apply your understanding of the ethical approaches we have learned about so far to respond to the following questions:

  1. How do you see the common good approach in this code of ethics?

  2. What other approaches that we’ve learned about do you see in this code of ethics?

Be prepared to present your code of ethics to the whole class and answer questions from the other groups.

Activity 4: Present

We will present the organizational codes of ethics we previously examined and explain our understandings of the ethical approaches those codes of ethics are informed by.

Choose a presenter from your group to present your code of ethics and how ethical approaches you have learned about might have informed the code.