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Potter Box Model for Ethical Decisions

The document describes the Potter Box Model, a 4-step framework for ethical decision making developed by Ralph Potter. The 4 steps are: 1) Understanding the facts of the case, 2) Outlining the values involved and what you are willing to give up to uphold them, 3) Applying relevant philosophical principles like Aristotle's golden mean, and 4) Articulating any loyalties that may conflict, such as truth versus privacy. Going through each step helps arrive at an ethical judgment in a case.

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Sourav Ghosh
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326 views27 pages

Potter Box Model for Ethical Decisions

The document describes the Potter Box Model, a 4-step framework for ethical decision making developed by Ralph Potter. The 4 steps are: 1) Understanding the facts of the case, 2) Outlining the values involved and what you are willing to give up to uphold them, 3) Applying relevant philosophical principles like Aristotle's golden mean, and 4) Articulating any loyalties that may conflict, such as truth versus privacy. Going through each step helps arrive at an ethical judgment in a case.

Uploaded by

Sourav Ghosh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Lecture 5

Ethical Decision-making
Model and Framework
Potter Box Model

Potter Box
Harvard theologian Ralph Potter
developed the model for ethical decisionmaking which is widely known as Potter
Box;
It suggests that you should go through
four steps to arrive at an ethical judgment;

Potter Box
The four steps are: 1) Understanding the
facts; 2) outlining the values inherent in
the decision; 3) applying relevant
philosophical principles, and 4) articulating
a loyalty;
Facts Values Principles Loyalties

Potter Box
Step 1:
- Understanding the facts of the case.
- In some cases the facts are
straightforward but the ethical choice rests
with how much of it you are going to print;

Potter Box
Step 2:
- Outlining values. Values is a much abused
word in modern English. People can value
everything from their loved ones to making
fashion statement;

Potter Box
In ethics, however, the word values takes
on a more precise meaning;
In this sense, when you value somethingan idea or a principle it means you are
willing to give up other things for it;
If, as a journalist, you value truth above all
things, then you must sometimes be
willing to give up privacy in favour of it;

Potter Box
If, as a journalist, you value both truth and
privacy, then you may be willing to give up
some truth to attempt to preserve victims
privacy;

Does it ethical?
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Potter Box
Truth and privacy are lofty ideas, and
an important element of using the
Potter Box is to be honest what you
really do value;
Most of us value keeping our jobs,
journalist often value getting the story
first;

Potter Box

Step 3:
- Applications of philosophical
principles.
- Once you have decided what you
value, you need then to apply the
philosophical principles;

Potter Box
A journalist has duties both to the readers
and to the victim and they must be
weighed before making a decision;
Aristotles golden mean would counsel a
middle ground that balances printing every
detail against printing no story at all;

Potter Box
The newspaper should print some
story, but not one that
unconsciously reveals the victims
identity

Daily Jugantor

Potter Box
Step 4:
- Articulation of loyalties. Potter, too, viewed
loyalty as a social commitment and use of
the Potter Box will reflect that sort of ethic;
In the fourth step, you need to articulate
your loyalties and to decide whether any
of them conflict;

Potter Box
You may have a loyalty to telling the truth,
to altering the community to a potential
danger, to protecting of individual privacy,
or to doing your job well;
Again, your loyalties are not in severe
conflict with one another unless you adopt
an absolutist view of the truth the
community needs to know.

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