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Ethical Decision Maker
ETHICAL DECISION MAKER
(C) Steve Mensing
Draw four columns on a large sheet of paper. In each of the columns jot down the information below:
(1) CIRCUMSTANCES & RELEVANT FACTS: What are the circumstances and the relevant facts here? I'll jot down what the circumstances are and the related relevant facts.
Circumstances: Example: My father is on life supports. He's been pronounced brain dead. It's been left up to me whether or not to remove him from life supports.
Relevant facts:
*Father is brain dead.
*It's $2200 dollars a day to keep him on life supports.
*The physicians said he has no chance of survival off of life supports.
*My father's wish, before he lost consciousness, was to be kept on life supports.
*I can't afford $2200 dollars a day without mortgaging my family home.
*My religion believes in the utter sanctity of life up until rigor mortus sets in.
(2) ETHICAL VALUE SCALE. With the ethical values scale we list our major ethical values in the column beside "Circumstances & Relevent Facts". We list our ethical values by order of priorty according to our core most values and priorities.
The sanctity of life.
Love.
honesty.
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXX
XXXXXXX
XXXXX
What ethical values are involved in this dilemma?
___________. _____________. ____________.
(3) WHAT ARE MY CHOICES IN THIS SITUATION? Brainstorm all the possible CHOICES I might have in this situation.
*Pull life supports.
*Keep life supports.
*Stop life supports when rigor mortis shows up.
*Stop life supports when your families finances are completely drained.
*Start a nationwide fund to keep father on life supports.
*Construct or purchase cheaper life support machinery.
*Have father cryogenically preserved until they can do better brain operations.
*XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
*XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
(4) EVALUATE THE CHOICES IN REGARDS TO YOUR ETHICAL VALUES. Go over all your potential choices and choose the one most closely aligned with the value highest on your ethical value scale.
My choice is: ___________________.
TIPS FOR USING ETHICAL DECISION MAKER
* Some commonly employed ethical test questions to stimulate more thought about ethical dilemmas:
-Is my response legal? If not, what allows my response to supercede the law?
-What if my ethical decision wound in the headlines around the world or was broadcast as headline news? How would I feel about that?
-What is my ethical intuition on this decision?
-How would you feel if someone else made this ethical choice?
What would you think and feel about them?
-Would either of your parents have made this ethical choice? How about someone you highly regard?
-What are the long-term and short-term consequences of this choice?
-How would you think and feel if someone else made this ethical choice and it directly effected you?
-Is this ethical choice good for the greatest number?
Take care, Steve