Please enable JavaScript.

Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.

A Primer for Ethical Reasoning - COL Palmer and CH(COL) Sniffin, USAWC…

- - - - "End justifies the means"
      - Best decision = the most good to the most people
      - Utilitarianism
      - Pros / Cons
        
        Pro's
        
        At the strategic level, decisions based on consequences mean there is a lot of room to have a significant impact
        
        Con's
        
        Cannot predict the future
        
        Consequences are a best guess at the outcome, no guarantee
        
        Focus on majority may have serious consequences for the minority
      - Example = Churchill and Calais/Dunkirk
    - - Sometimes the ends do not justify the means
      - Do what we are supposed to do, based on principles
        
        Duty
        
        Loyalty
        
        Fairness
        
        Justice
      - Pro's/Con's, p.4
        
        Pro's
        
        Commonly held principles are well understood by others, supported by others
        
        Confidence in "correctness" of the decision
        
        Con's
        
        When principles compete
        
        Rights of two groups of people, as an example
      - Example: Truman guided by principles to integrate Armed Forces
        p.5
    - - Virtue ethics p.5
      - Be the kind of person you want to be
      - Be honest, kind, gentle, etc.
      - Act on intentions
      - Judge people with kindness
      - People with good character make good, ethical decisions because they have good character
      - Who am I is a important as what should I decide?
      - Example: GEN Marshall as a virtuous leader