Week 3) The importance of ethical thinking and pace

Question 1

What is ethics?

Answer 1

Ethics is the branch of Philosophy that explores what ought to be decent and appropriate human behaviour.

Question 2

What is normative ethics?

Answer 2

Focuses on theorising how we ought to behave

Question 3

What is Descriptive Ethics ?

Answer 3

Focuses on describing moral beliefs and what motivates people to act ethically

Question 4

What is Applied Ethics?

Answer 4

Focuses on applying ethical theories and principles to particular domains (bioethics, environmental ethics, research ethics).

Question 5

Identify three core theories under normative ethics?

Answer 5

• Consequentialism
• Deontological Ethics
• Virtue Ethics

Question 6

What is consequentialism?

What is utilitarianism?

Answer 6

The focus is on the consequence of our actions.

Main concepts:

• IMP: Greatest good for the greatest number of ppl.
• utility of actions
• Good intention

Utilitarianism=the doctrine that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority.
Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham (18th & 19th centuries)

Question 7

What is the critique/problem with consequentialism?

Answer 7

Critique: 􏰁

Unintended consequences with no good
outcomes. But you had good intentions, just didnt realise possible bad outcomes.

What about the ones who are not included? e.g. if boy goes and volunteers at nursing home for whole day vs spending time with lonely mum, he’s mum will be left out. So even though its not the majority, ppl miss out and are excluded from this system.

Question 8

What is Deontological Ethics?

Answer 8

Morality of an action based on rules. We have guidelines and norms beyond ourselves that guide us e.g. guidelines/law/rules of institution that are based upon rationality.

Idea that we have a duty to behave in a way that is aligned with our rationality and that:
― Leads to universalisable actions
― Is based on humanist principles (dignity/integrity)

Main concepts:

• Categorical imperatives
• Duty

Hint: think deontology = duty

KANT.

Question 9

What is the critique of Deontological Ethics?

Example.

Answer 9

Critique

• Removes the personal factor (agency)
• Ignores emotions/feelings (duty supersedes emotions)
• There could be conflicting duties (e.g. The duty to your family may conflict with the duty to your employer)

e.g. You become attached to homeless person who is your friend. You realise he has been faking his needs to
get into housing case earlier. Do you report him or not?
While you have ethical code within organisation, it doesnt
take into account our emotions towards him.

Question 10

What does categorical imperatives refer to under deontological ethics?

Answer 10

the unconditional moral principle that one’s behaviour should accord with universalizable maxims which respect persons as ends in themselves; the obligation to do one’s duty for its own sake and not in pursuit of further ends

Question 11

What is Virtue Ethics?

Answer 11

• Ethical behaviour results from developing good character through the development of virtues (courage, benevolence, compassion, loyalty).

(each person has good character and virtues. Not based on actions or on framework/guidelines of instutition)
ARISTOTLE.

Question 12

Critique of virtue ethics?

Answer 12

• What virtues should we be developing? Valued virtues differ depending on the context/cultural context might differ
• Good character may not lead to good actions.
• In particular situations virtues could be conflicting.

Question 13

Seeing as all these three types of ethics have their critiques and problems, what can we do?

Answer 13

we need a combination of these frameworks.

Governed by widest framework of duty (deontology). It is big red frame, square, that is beyond and bigger than us, that we look up to (guy legit looks up at it).

Next at medium size of frame is yellow circle, which is our virtue (around the head of guy). This represents our character.

Lastly is a green arrow projecting out from guys head, outside of big red duty box. This arrow are our actions (utility). To do with consequntialism.

Question 14

What is “ethics of care”

Answer 14

Ethics of Care combines duty of care with
our virtue one.

― Duty of care
― Developed based on the type of people we are

Question 15

What are “Non anthropocentric ethical theories” referring to.

Answer 15

anthropocentric = belief that human kind is above everything else e.g. animals and god, that mankind is centre of everything.

Therefore in an ethics sense, non anthropocentric= beyond the impact on humanity

e.g. takes into account nature and the
impact on the environment (that this
should be remembered in light of our
ethical behaviour)

Question 16

What is the main Ethical principles in PACE?

Answer 16

― principle of Reciprocity
― Mutual Benefit (to the student, the organisation, the
university)

principle of reciprocity: we want students to make best contribution to organisation, uni and that students are giving and receiving.

Question 17

How do we ensure the principle of reciprocity and mutual benefit in PACE is met?

Answer 17

Understand the value and contribution of your activity

Understand the value and ethics of your organisation

Understand the community it serves (how org is connected to a wider community).

Question 18

What are some questions you should ask before agreeing to participate in a research project?

Answer 18

Is it confidential?
Time and cost
Privacy
Can I quit if I want to? 
What is it for?
Who is it for?
Will I be endangered?
How will the information be stored?
What training do the researchers have? 
Who will use this information?
Who is behind this?

Basically you shouldnt jump in and say ill participate. You should ask q’s first.

Question 19

What CONSTITUTES human research?

Answer 19

• Taking part in surveys, interviews, focus groups
• Psychological, physiological, medical testing or treatment
• Observation by researchers
• Access to personal documents or other materials
• Collection of body organs, tissues, exhaled breath
• Access to personal information – either identifiable, re- identifiable, non-identifiable – as part of an existing published or unpublished source or database.

Question 20

What IS human research?

Answer 20

involves any collection of information on

human beings

Question 21

What are THE 4 main principles of ethical research?

FOUR NATIONAL STATEMENTS BY THE BOARD

Answer 21

• Merit and Integrity (purpose of research, dissemination of results, trained researcher)
• Justice (fairness to participants in recruitment and effort requested) ie. what we asked them to do must be fair
• Beneficence (costs and benefits) e.g. benefits of project should outweigh the effort required from participants

• Respect (voluntary nature, privacy,
confidentiality) e.g. if they want to withdraw for instance

An ethical piece of work will meet all four of these criteria.