1 page summary of the article - Essay Example

The article A Framework for Thinking Ethically discusses the importance of ethics in individual, business, and governmental decision making. “Ethics refers to standards of behavior that tell us how human beings ought to act in the many situations in which they find themselves-as friends, parents, children, citizens, businesspeople, teachers, professionals, and so on” (Scu). It is important not to confuse ethics with other concepts. Ethics is not the same as feelings, legal matters, science, or socially accepted culture.

Identifying situations in which ethics applies is sometimes hard. Two problems associated with identification of ethics are: how we base our standards and how those standards are applied to specific situations. Five sources of ethical standards that can be used to identify and analyze ethics are: the utilitarian approach, rights approach, fairness or justice approach, common good approach, and the virtue approach. The utilitarian approach deals with bringing the greatest good to the maximum amount of people.

Politicians often use the utilitarian approach in their decision making. The moral approach protects and respects the moral rights of those affected. The justice approach states that everyone should be treated equally. The common good approach suggests that the interlocking relationships of society are the basis of ethical reasoning and that respect and compassion for all others, especially the vulnerable, are requirements of such reasoning (Scu). The virtue approach states the ethical matters should be guided by the ideas of virtues that provide development for our society.

To make good ethical decisions employees need proper ethical training. Work Cited PageScu.edu. 2010. “A Framework for Thinking Ethically.” Santa Clara University. 4 February 2012.