Transcript Expectations for Ethics Term Papers, Spring 2003

Expectations for Ethics Term Paper
DUE APRIL 9
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4-6 page paper on some aspect of what
you view as evidence of unethical
behavior in agriculture or in your rural
community.
If you are not from a farm or rural
community you may chose one of the
topics from Cochrane or from the other
assigned readings, or from some other
source.
Paper Outline
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Illustration of some unethical behavior
in farming, agriculture or rural life.
Define what you mean by ethics and
why you feel this issue, event or
practice is unethical?
Why do you define this action, issue, or
event is unethical?
Ethics Help Define Who We Are
and Describes our Culture
“Character is not the same thing as
reputation. Character is what you are.
Reputation is what people say you
are.”Josephson, 2002
Expectations
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Describe an ethical issue in agriculture
Provide a rationale for why this
action/behavior or decision is or was
unethical
What are the consequences, how would
you approach this decision?
How could this have been decided or
handled in a better way
Outline (continued)
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What can or should be done to correct
this problem?
What remedies or solutions might exist?
What are the long term implications if
nothing is done?
Who should take leadership in raising
ethical standards in agriculture, farming
and rural life?
What is ethics anyway?
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Standards of conduct
Standards that indicate how one should
behave based upon moral duties and
virtues
Principals of right and wrong
As a practical matter, ethics is about
how we meet the challenge of doing the
right thing when that will cost more
than we want to pay.
Aspects of Ethics
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Ability to discern right from wrong,
good and evil, propriety from
impropriety
Commitment to do what is right, proper
and good. Ethics entails action not just
thoughts
What is meant by ethics?
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Helps us discern what is right or wrong
Doing what the law requires
Standards of behavior
Doing what society expects
Standards of right and wrong that
prescribe what people ought to do in
terms of rights, benefits to society,
fairness, etc
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Standards of behavior that tell us how
people ought to act in many situations
in which they find themselves in
Utilitarian Approach
The Rights Approach
Fairness or Justice
Common Good
Virtue
What Iowa Farmers Told Us
(2002 Farm Poll, n=1942)
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At one time a person’s word was as
good as a signed contract; now you
must get it in writing. 93% somewhat
or strongly agreed
In general, ethical standards in society
have declined. 87% agreed
What farmers told us
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I used to take a persons’ word as measure of
his/her honor, but now-a-days you can’t
always simply accept what a person tells you.
85% agreed.
One reason ethical standards have declined is
that people have lost respect for authority.
70% agreed
Often people admit they are not being ethical
in paying the full amount of their taxes. 49%
agreed.
What farmers told us
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Even among friends and neighbors, I
am concerned that they no longer feel
obliged to honor their word. 37%
agreed
Farmer’s ethical standards have
declined. 57% agreed
How have ethics changed?
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% Decline in past 10 years
Clergy
24%
Neighbors
31
Local Merchants
36
Local Agribusiness
37
Lenders
41
Farmers
45
Youth and young adults
68
Local elected officials
70
Elected state officials
72
The Six Pillars of Character
(Source: Josephson, Making Ethical Decisions)
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Trustworthiness
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Honesty
Truthfulness
Sincerity
Candor
Honesty in conduct
Integrity
Relability
The Six Pillars of Character
(Source: Josephson, Making Ethical Decisions)
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Respect
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Civility, courtesy, and decency
Dignity and autonomy
Tolerance and acceptance
Responsibility
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Accountability
Pursuit of Excellence
Self Restraint
The Six Pillars of Character
(Source: Josephson, Making Ethical Decisions)
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Fairness
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Process
Impartiality
Equity
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Caring
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Citizenship
Some guides to determine
if an action is ethical
1.
2.
The Golden Rule, “you act in a way
that you would expect others to act
toward you”
The Professional Ethic, “You take only
those actions that would be viewed as
proper by an objective panel of your
professional peers”
3. Kant’s Categorical Imperative, “Ask yourself,
“What if everyone behaved this way?”
4. Child on Your Shoulder, “Would you proudly
make the same decision if your young child
were witnessing your choice?”
5. TV Test, Could you explain and justify your
actions to general television audience?”
6. The Des Moines Register Test, “Would you
like your friends and neighbors to read
about this?”
Four simple questions
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Could you or someone else suffer physical
harm?
Could you or someone else suffer emotional
pain?
Could the decision hurt your reputation,
undermine your credibility, or damage
important relationships?
Could the decision impede the achievement
of any important goal?
Seven Steps to Better
Decisions
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Stop and think
Clarify goals
Determine Facts
Develop options
Consider consequences
Choose
Monitor and modify
What happens when there is not
adherence to a code of ethics?
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People begin to “cut corners”
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Most unethical and illegal activities start small
Rationale or justifications often include,
“everyone else is doing it”
Erosion in ethics brings about greater
regulation because trust has been violated
Rules, regulations and laws reflect the
formalization of ethics
Erosion in Ethics=Distrustful
Culture
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Where people no longer trust each other
Where extreme individualism is primary
Where people no longer know each other
With diminished respect, trust and
cooperation, there are calls for regulations to
monitor or regulate behaviors/actions
Symptoms of Distrust in
Agriculture
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Legal representation
Formalized contracts
Fear of Liability—liability insurance
Less personal contact—fear of strangers
Formal communication
Suspiciousness
What are some examples that
display ethics or the lack of ethics
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Slavery—it was legal, was it ethical
Denying the rights of women to own
property or to vote
Indian removal
Navigation Acts
Land expropriation
Contemporary examples
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Displacing a tenant for $5.00 acre more rent
Calling upon the widow before her husband’s
funeral about renting her farm
Encouraging over-application of fertilizer
because of incentives you will receive
Trading in a tractor that you know has major
problems without disclosing to the dealer
Failure to deliver on a promise
Guides for Deciding If An
Action is Ethical
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The Golden Rule
“You act in a way that you would
expect others to act toward you” or
“treat others as you would like to
be treated”
Guides for Deciding If An
Action is Ethical
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Professional Ethic
You take only those actions which
would be viewed as “proper” by an
objective panel of your professional
colleagues.
Guides for Deciding If An
Action is Ethical
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Kant’s Categorical Imperative
Ask yourself, “ What if everyone
behaved this way?”
Guides for Deciding If An
Action is Ethical
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Child on Your Shoulders Test
Would you proudly make the same
decision if your young child were
witnessing your choice?
Guides for Deciding If An
Action is Ethical
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TV Test
Could you explain and justify your
actions to a general television
audience?
Have Ethics Changed?
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Among
Among
Among
Among
farmers?
people in your community?
all Americans?
youth and young adults?
Examples of Unethical
Behavior
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As a new employee in sales of an
agribusiness firm you work hard to
meet your quota, and sometimes this
means that you encourage farmercustomers to buy more fertilizer than
they actually need.
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You observe a co-worker putting computer
disks in his briefcase that you are certain he
is planning on using to use for personal use.
What if it were a rubber band or paper clip,
or what about borrowing the company car for
personal use? Should these be treated the
same?
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As purebred livestock breeder, you sell
someone stock that you know has some
genetic defects, but you fail to points
these defects?
Your niece who works at a bank calls
you with some hot “inside information”
about a proposed merger that could
make you a handsome profit?
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Because you have earned several
frequent flyer miles on trips that your
company paid for, you decide to use the
discount to take a fishing trip instead of
applying them to company business?
You observe a fellow colleague using
the company computer during work
hours to play computer games?
Other examples
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Building a CAFO closer to your
neighbor’s house than your house
Failure to follow recommended farming
practices eg spreading manure on
frozen ground, excessive tillage, over
application of fertilizer, etc
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Being aggressive in bidding up land
rental rates
Not doing business with local
cooperative or with other local
businesses
What about layer batteries or sow
crates—are they inhumane and
unethical?
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Is lying ever justified?
Under what circumstances might lying
being the ethical thing to do?
Reasons Why People Act
Unethically
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It was necessary
It was legal
I did it for their benefit
I was only fighting fire with fire
It didn’t hurt anyone
Everyone else is doing it
I did not personally gain
I deserved it
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in
Kindergarten
Robert Fulghum
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Share everything
Play fair
Don’t hit people
Put things back where you
found them
Clean up your own mess
Don’t take things that aren’t
yours
Say you are sorry when you
hurt somebody
Wash your hands before you
eat
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Flush
Warm cookies and cold milk
are good for you
Live a balanced life--learn
some and think some and
draw and paint and sing and
dance and play and work
everyday some
Take a nap every afternoon
When you go out into the
world, watch out for traffic,
hold hands and stick
together
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in
Kindergarten
(continued)
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Beware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the
cup: the roots go down and plant goes up and
nobody really knows how or why, but we are like that
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the
little seed in the styrofoam cup-they all die. So do
we.
And then remember the Dick and Jane books and the
first word you learned-- the biggest word of all-LOOK.