WELCOME

TO ETHICS
& SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
PROFESSOR TAMERA FILLINGER

TODAY
Introductions
to the course, schedule, syllabus,
readings, expectations
Introductions to each other
Introduction to Chapter 1

THE COURSE FOCUS

Identify:
Analyze:
Formulate:
Develop:

ethical issues and dilemmas

ethical issues through the
lenses of different ethical theories
opinions and options
systems aimed at prevent ethical
breaches from occurring

Learning Methodology
Socratic/Interactive/Presentatio
n

How do you define ethics?

Ethics vs. morals

Ethics and Morals

Ethics
Greek word ethikos from the word
ethos meaning character- guiding
beliefs of a person, organisation or culture
Moral philosophy
Morals

Latin word moralitas- beliefs about what

is right and wrong behaviour
Sociological behaviour (Boatright, 2009)
(Merriam Webster Dictionary)
6

What is Ethics?
Ethics is a branch of philosophy addressing
questions of morality
Meta Ethics: What is good? What is bad?
Descriptive Ethics: What does a community
do?
Normative Ethics: What is the norm? What
ought or should we to do?
Applied Ethics: What should I do about specific
controversial issues, e.g., abortion?

THE TROLLEY
PROBLEM

THE FOOTBRIDGE
PROBLEM

10

THE A & E PROBLEM

11

THE SLEEPING PATIENT

PROBLEM

Kohlbergs

Kohlberg Test: The Heinz Dilemma

A woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was
one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a chemical
compound that a pharmacist in the same town had recently
discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the pharmacist
was charging ten times what the drug cost him to produce. He paid
$200 for the chemicals and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the
drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, tried to borrow the money,
but he could only raise $1,000, half of the price. He told the
pharmacist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper
or let him pay later. But the pharmacist said, "No, I discovered the
drug and I'm going to make money from it." So Heinz got desperate
and broke into the pharmacists store to steal the drug for his wife.

Should Heinz have broken into the store to steal the drug for his
wife? Why or why not?

LAWRENCE KOHLBERGS
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT OF
MORAL REASONING
Level 1
Stage 1
Punishment and Obedience

Stage 2

14

Using behaviour to get what

you want -self interest

LAWRENCE KOHLBERGS
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT OF
MORAL REASONING
Level 2
Stage 3
Interpersonal Concordance
Orientation - conformity
Meeting others expectations

Stage 4

15

Law and Order Orientation lawand-order

Fulfilling duties and upholding
laws

LAWRENCE KOHLBERGS
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT OF
MORAL REASONING
Level 3

Stage 5

Universal Ethical Principles

Orientation universal human
ethics
self selection of universal
principles

16

Social Contract Orientation

human rights
consensus through agreements
and fair procedures
Stage 6

Kohlberg Triangle
Universal
Human Ethics
Social Contract
Law & Order
Conformity
Self Interest
Obedience

17

Ethical Reasoning
Ethical
Reasoning

Philosophy:
Moral
Viewpoint

Act on Best
Reasons

Psychology:
Cognitive
Ability

Act
Impartially
Move from
Stage 1 to
Stage 6

18