Our society and world are quick to call those who hold to an absolute standard of ethical behavior intolerant and close minded, while our society calls for tolerance, acceptance, and relativism. Ethical behavior is seen as a personal value system. The textbook for this course is written from that perspective as well. It counsels you to adopt ethical pluralism when faced when an ethical decision and then to weigh the various frameworks to make what appears to be the best decision. This assignment will provide you with an example of how pluralism works, as well as letting you compare the results of that decision to one obtained using biblical principles. This information will better enable you to relate and manage those with differing cultural and ethical systems.

Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:

• Examine the usefulness of specific ethical frameworks to decision-making.

Resources – Comparative Ethics Paper

• Textbook: Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership
• Textbook: Essentials of Business Ethics
• File: Four Lens Model of Worldview Development.docx
• File: Chapter 5.ppt

Background Information

For much of our history, decisions were judged as ethical based how well they conformed to religious values and principles. With the rise of secular humanism that started in the 19th century, academics began casting off religion-based frameworks in favor of other rational, intellectual-based systems (Geisler & Feinberg, 1980). Your textbook presents a number of these systems and provides a sense of the strengths and weaknesses of each. Since each system is acknowledged to have its own set of strengths and weaknesses, modern academic ethical decision making involves considering any situation from multiple perspectives, considering what each theory would suggest as the ethical action, and then making the decision that seems to be consistent with the majority of ethical frameworks (Rae & Wong, 2004). As a Christ-centered institution, Indiana Wesleyan University believes that the biblical ethical system is applicable, workable, and preferred to any of these other systems.

References

Geisler , N. L., & Feinberg, P. D. (1980). Introduction to philosophy: A Christian perspective. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Rae, S. B., & Wong, K. L. (1993). Beyond integrity: A Judeo-Christian approach to business ethics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing Co.

Instructions

1. Download and review the PowerPoint presentation, Chapter 5.ppt.
2. Read Chapter 5 in Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership. As you read, consider the various ethical frameworks that are presented. Think about some ethical challenge you have had in the past and then consider how each of the frameworks would have influenced your behavior in that situation.
3. Using each ethical perspective discussed in the textbook as well as the five biblical principles presented in the first workshop, consider the issue of outsourcing manufacturing work from your local community to a developing country.
4. Download the file Four Lens Model of Worldview Development.docx. Using the model, think of four words or phrases for each lens that describe the issue of outsourcing manufacturing work from your local community to a developing country. Write an 800- to 1000-word research paper in which you:
   1. Evaluate the ethicality of outsourcing manufacturing work from your local community to a developing country.
      1. Select two ethical frameworks from the Johnson book for analysis from the various frameworks presented in both textbooks; in addition, use the five biblical principles presented in workshop one as a third framework
      2. Use each of the three frameworks to determine a position from the perspective of that framework. Provide a detailed evaluation that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking.
   2. Determine a final position on the ethicality of outsourcing manufacturing work from your local community to a developing country based upon your review of the outcomes from each of the three individual outcomes. Defend your position. Provide a detailed evaluation that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking.
   3. Evaluate the usefulness of having a predetermined ethical framework for coming to a conclusion. Provide a detailed evaluation that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking.
5. Support your positions with at least six references from scholarly sources.
6. Use proper spelling, grammar, and APA formatting for your analysis paper. (Note: cover pages, academic sources, reference pages, etc. do not count towards the word length requirement in your paper.)
7. When you have completed your assignment, save a copy for yourself and submit a copy to your instructor using the Dropbox by the end of the workshop (Turnitin will be enabled). Comparative Ethics Paper.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION;

Examine the usefulness of specific ethical frameworks to decision-making

Introduction

Planning to make an ethical decision? Let’s look at the different ethical frameworks that can help you do so.

(1) Kantian ethics

Kantian ethics is based on a universal law that applies to all people in all situations. This principle, called the Categorical Imperative, states that you should act only according to that maxim which you can at the same time will as a universal law (i.e., it cannot be otherwise).

This framework has been applied to many fields of study, including politics and economics (for example: “Can we maximize utility?”), but it is most commonly used in ethics because it allows for an objective way of determining what constitutes moral behavior and how we should go about doing so.(2)

(2) Utilitarian ethics

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that states that the best action is the one that brings about the most good for the most people. Utilitarianism is a consequentialist theory and teleological in nature, which means it begins with an end goal (good) and then works backwards to determine what actions will lead to this end goal.

This framework can be useful for decision-making because it focuses on outcomes rather than intentions or motives—the focus is on what you want to achieve rather than why you want it. This can help you think more clearly about your actions by focusing less on their ethical implications and more on whether they’re likely to produce positive results, as well as how much harm could come from them if done incorrectly.

(3) Probabilistic ethics

Probabilistic ethics is a form of consequentialism. It is based on the idea that the consequences of an action are more important than the intentions behind it. This can be useful in situations where there are no clear rules or guidelines, and you need to make a decision based on what seems most likely to happen.

For example:

• You are driving down a road at night with your headlights off when another car passes by without theirs on. You feel bad because they could have been hurt by being hit by yours! *You stop at an intersection without knowing which direction traffic will flow from each side.*

(4) Deontological ethics

Deontological ethics is based on the idea of duty. It’s the idea that we have to follow certain rules or duties, such as “you should always tell the truth,” or “you shouldn’t steal.” Deontological ethics focuses on rightness or wrongness of actions and how they relate to our duties.

Deontological ethical frameworks can be divided into two categories: rule-based and deontic (or consequentialist). Rule-based frameworks focus on a set of rules that we must follow in order to live successfully; deontic philosophies look at whether an action has violated these rules and what consequences might result from it.

(5) Virtue ethics

Virtue ethics is a theory of ethics that defines the good life in terms of the character of the person living it. It was first formulated by Aristotle, who believed that happiness was the ultimate goal of human existence. He thought virtue could be defined as excellence or perfection and contrasted with vice, which he defined as imperfection or shortcoming.[1] The virtues were cardinal virtues (courage, justice, temperance) and four other moral virtues: wisdom (sophia), moderation (meia), piety/sincerity/kindness/friendship/charity/self-control etc., according to Ptolemy’s classification.[2]

Virtue ethics is also called classical utilitarianism because it is based on Jeremy Bentham’s idea that one should maximize pleasure over pain[3].

(6) Rationalism, enlightenment, or critical rationalism

Rationalism is the belief that reason is the source of knowledge and truth. It is a method of inquiry and a philosophical position, but it also refers to a school of thought or philosophical movement.

Rationalism as a school of thought was founded by Immanuel Kant in 1781 as part of his attempt to systematize all knowledge into one coherent whole. Rationalists believe that people should use their reason to arrive at conclusions based on evidence rather than relying on intuition alone; they reject mystical thinking as well as blind faith in external forces like gods or spirits because they believe such ideas are not supported by facts but instead exist purely out there somewhere in our heads (i.e., within ourselves).

(7) Naturalist or biological ethics

Naturalist ethics is based on the idea that humans are animals and should act like them. The naturalist approach is based on the idea that humans are animals, and they should act like them.

In order to make decisions about what is right or wrong, you must ask yourself: “What would an animal do?” This question can be answered by using your knowledge of social behavior in other species as a guide for how people should behave towards each other in society.

At least one ethical framework will be of use to every ethical decision you make.

At least one ethical framework will be of use to every ethical decision you make.

Ethical frameworks can be used to determine what is right and what is wrong, but they also provide information on how to act ethically. They are useful when making decisions about how we should treat other people and the world around us. For example, an engineer working for a company may want to know whether it is okay for him or her to work on Sundays because this is an important part of their religion; an accountant who wants to be able to support his family without sacrificing professional opportunities would benefit from knowing that he or she should not do so (Holland & Zimmerman 2004).

Conclusion

We have covered a wide range of ethical frameworks, from Kantian ethics to virtue ethics. But what do these approaches have in common? What are their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to making decisions about how we should live our lives? We hope that this article has helped you understand some of the core concepts behind each framework and made you think about which one might be right for your own situation. We certainly encourage you not just read this article – but also consider applying its lessons as part of your daily life!