Emphasizing
Reason and Impartiality
AS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR MORALITY
Learning Outcomes
1. Compare reasonable and emotional
responses
2. Apply the 7-step moral reasoning model to
real-life cases
Humans don’t only have feelings but also reason.
Reason plays a vital role in Ethics.
Introduction We ask WHY when someone tells us that a certain
action is immoral, and if there is NO reasonable
answer, we declare the proposition as absurd.
Clearly, reason is a necessary requirement for
Morality.
Moral judgments must be: Morality requires:
Backed by sound Impartial consideration of
reasoning all involved
Review of James Rachels
Module 1:
Human feelings may be Decisions ought to be
important in moral based on objective
decisions but they ought criteria, rather than bias,
to be guided by reason prejudice or preference
Is reason a requirement
for morality?
Reason
Reason is the basis or motive for an action,
decision or conviction.
It refers to the capacity for rational, logical and
analytic thought.
Reason spells the difference of moral
judgments from mere expressions of personal
preference. In the absence of sensible
rationale, they are merely unreliable and
ignorable.
Moral Deliberation
It is a matter of weighing reasons and being
guided by them.
Truth in Ethics entails being justified by good
reasons.
Moral truths, if defined by good reasons, are
objective in a sense that they are true no matter
what we might want or think.
Is impartiality a
requirement for morality?
This involves the idea that each individual’s
interests and point of view are equally
important.
Also called evenhandedness or fair-
mindedness.
Impartiality
Impartiality is a principle of justice holding that
decisions ought to be based on objective
criteria, rather than on the basis of bias,
prejudice, or preferring the benefit to one
person over another for improper reasons.
Are reason and impartiality a
requirement for morality?
“At the very least is the effort to guide one’s
action based on the most logical choice
while giving equal importance to the
interests of each person affected by your
decisions.”
-James Rachels
The 7-step Model for
Ethical Decision Making
The 7-step Model by Scott B.
Rae, Ph.D.
Gather Gather the facts
Determine Determine the ethical issues
Identify Identify the principles that have bearing on the case
List List the alternatives
Compare Compare the alternatives with the principles
Weigh Weigh the consequences
Make Make a decision
Step One: Gather the
Facts
Make sure the facts are clear.
Do you have all the facts that are necessary to make a
good decision?
What do we know?
What do we need to know?
Step Two: Determine
the Ethical Issues
Dilemma becomes ethical when the good or bad
options seem to have a moral component
(e.g. privacy vs. avoidance of harm,
freedom vs. safety,
Right to life vs. Right to autonomy).
Step Three:
Identify the
Principles that
have bearing on
the Case
W h at reasons ca n yo u p rovi de fo r
p r i orit iz ing on e comp et i ng va l ue
ove r a n o t her?
Step Four: List the
Alternatives
Do you have all the known facts?
Do you understand the applicable laws or
legalities?
Do you have all relevant policies available to
review?
Are you clear about the individual’s views and
personal values?
* Don’t hesitate to seek out consultation.
Step Five: Compare the
Alternatives with the
Principles
Look for the following:
-- mission statement
-- values base of the organization/institution
-- code of ethics to guide practice
-- ethical standards
• Some of the alternatives may be rejected in this
process.
Step Six: Weigh
the Consequences
Weigh the cost/benefits of
each option (Both positive
and negative consequences
are to be considered)
* Seek out additional points
of view
Step Seven: Make a
Decision
1) Remove the least desirable option.
2) Remove any which you can not put into
action.
3) Remove any options which break the values
systems of those affected.
4) Recognize that your final choice will be
impacted by your personal values.
A couple is pregnant with their second child after numerous
unsuccessful attempts with artificial insemination. During a routine
ultrasound at 28 weeks gestation, the physician discovers that the
fetus is anencephalic. The life expectancy of an anencephalic baby
is only a few days to weeks after birth. The mother indicates that
she thinks she will “go crazy” if she carries the pregnancy to term,
but the father says “no one is going to kill my child”.
Now, For your reflection, let’s try using the
following dilemma using the 7 steps:
Self-Reflection
and
Assessment
