Thinking Ethically

After reading Thinking Ethically I learned about the five different approaches to resolving moral issues. I read about Utilitarian, Rights, Fairness/Justice, Common-Good, and Virtue. What stood out to me in the article was that facts alone are not enough the make good choices. Values are just as important when it comes to actions and decisions. This made sense to me because there are times where I choose the easiest option without thinking about the implications. The reading emphasizes that good choices are not about what works, but also whats right.

This connects to another article by Markkula Center called A Framework for Ethical Decision Making. This one gave steps to making choices, finding the issue, getting facts, and looking at options. When looking at options there were different lenses to use to ensure the best possible choice. For example the fairness lens means that you should do your share when being in a group and the common good lens means you should want to help others succeed. Both articles are supposed to remind people that ethics is more than thinking about yourself

On a larger scale, the world faces problems like poverty and inequality. These problems cannot be solved by facts alone. People need to think about values and do what is ethically right. The utilitarian way asks what helps the most people, while common good reminds us that we are all connected. By using these ideas, we can work towards a better world where society as a whole can work together.

University, Santa Clara. “Thinking Ethically.” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/thinking-ethically/. Accessed 28 Sept. 2025.

In A Framework for Ethical Decision Making

The article reminded me of a group project I had last semester. There were multiple times where my team had conflicting opinions about what to prioritize when working on the presentation. Some wanted to focus on visuals and aesthetics while others wanted to ensure the slides hit all the criteria. I personally cared more about getting a good grade than having a presentation that looked good. The article described various lenses to make ethical decisions, the justice lens resonated with me. I realized that back then, I shouldn’t have prioritized what I thought important, but balanced the workload so each member was respected. It wasn’t about the decisions we made for the team, but it was about being fair and understanding. 

This also connects to To Kill a Mockingbird. In the novel Atticus Finch defends Tom Robinson, a man that was falsely accused of a crime in a racist community. The story is centered around the justice lens from the framework, which stresses fair treatment and giving people what they deserve. Atticus follows this lens by choosing to stand for equality and ensure the truth gets out. He pushed past the cultural norms and fought against the law to do what’s right. Some situations have straightforward ethical choices, but the book shows how sometimes justice can mean standing against the public opinion. Ethics does not mean what is legal but about what is right.

This makes me also think about AI and personal privacy. Companies that develop AI face decisions that have to weigh the rights of the people against the potential benefits. Looking through the rights lens, reminds us that people have the right to choose for themselves and have privacy. AI can take this away from us and have a harmful effect on society as a whole.

University, Santa Clara. “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making.” Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/a-framework-for-ethical-decision-making/. Accessed 28 Sept. 2025.

How to link personal values with team values. (cover story)

The article reminded me of my summer job as a server at a restaurant. There were times that my workload was overwhelming and customers were forming a line out the door. I had to make a decision on what I valued, if I picked customer service over efficiency I would have to spend more time at each table and potentially have people wait for a long period of time. My manager valued teamwork and a positive attitude above all. I had to work on what I prioritize and balance my workload in order to succeed.

This also connects to Breaking Bad, Walter White had to constantly face choices that clashed with each other. He had to pick between family, financial security, or pride. Understanding our values and choosing one above another helps guide our actions and align it with what we believe in. The show demonstrates how misaligning your values can have a negative impact on your life and lead you to make some choices you wouldn’t usually make.

It makes me think of real world companies that are heavily invested into their values and make it a core part of their company. Part of Patagonia’s mission is, “We’re in business to save our home planet.” They ensure that their employees have similar values and align with their mission goal. When professional and personal goals align, employees are happier and the company has a unified vision.

Jaffe, D. T., & Scott, C. D. (1998). How to link personal values with team values. Training & Development, 52(3), 24–30

“Our Mission.” Patagonia Hong Kong Online, www.patagonia.com.hk/pages/our-mission?srsltid=AfmBOoqKjzV2USn33g8fEpZ9MOubpeJOMpS80gzm4BY6Bnq2xfIsRlRJ. Accessed 11 Sept. 2025.

When reading  the article “40 Years of Storming,” the point that stood out to me was her mention that “groups often struggle in the storming stage before they can move forward successfully.” (Bonebright, p. 386). This made a lot of sense to me because I’ve had the same exact thing happen in my own groups. I’m currently in a group project for one of my classes and everyone was trying to get a plan in place and get work done, but then we disagreed on who should do what and how to organize the work. The first meeting was counterproductive and frustrating until about halfway through, where we worked through those disagreements. After that initial issue, the project started to be a lot more smooth. The reading reminded me that it’s a normal part of group dynamics to not work well when first meeting.

This reminded me of stories I’ve read about survival situations like Lord of the Flies. The boys are stranded and try to organize themselves and set rules. Disagreements start quickly and one of the characters rejects the leadership of another. This is similar to what Bonebright describes with Tuckman’s model. Although in survival stories the stakes are higher and the pressure is high. Both show that people must go through stress before they can trust one another.

I notice this same pattern in everyday situations whether its sports teams, volunteer groups, or even within families. When people come together to plan an event, people are usually excited to start, then there’s some disagreements about how to do things, and eventually roles are established. The model makes sense of this cycle and shows that it’s okay to struggle at first.

Bonebright, Denise A. “40 Years of Storming: A Historical Review of Tuckman’s Model of Small Group Development.” Human Resource Development International, vol. 13, no. 1, 17 Feb. 2010, pp. 111–120, https://doi.org/10.1080/13678861003589099.

Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York, Penguin Books, 17 Sept. 1954.

“Why Ethical People Make Unethical Choices”

After reading the article, I found that the point that stood out most to me was “A positive example isn’t being set.” I have seen this firsthand in the workplace with managers or supervisors not actively following the rules in place and therefore the employees under them follow suit. This is also true on the contrary, where a good manager will be a role model in the workplace, and their employees will look up to them and do as they do. My manager for my summer job effectively shows this behavior. He was the general manager at the restaurant and always showed up on time, cared about the business, and would go above and beyond for the customers. This would in turn make me want to strive to be on his level because of the example that he would set.

This connects to the reading about the report on the Titan. The leader in charge of the expedition and project didn’t put proper safety protocols in place, and the team of engineers under them followed that leadership. The lack of a positive example will lead a team into disarray because there isn’t a person to enforce rules and set a baseline for what is needed. As Ron Carucci stated, “Organizations who don’t want to find themselves on a front-page scandal must scrutinize their actions to far greater degrees than they may have realized.” This relates directly to the Oceangate catastrophe because they didn’t diligently analyze their actions and act in an ethical way.

For the everyday person it is very easy to make unethical decisions in your life. The easy way out is not the right way, acting with morals and ideals in mind will lead you down the right path and help you in the long term.

“Why Ethical People Make Unethical Choices.” Harvard Business Review, 16 Dec. 2016. hbr.org, https://hbr.org/2016/12/why-ethical-people-make-unethical-choices.