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The quandary of ethics

by Miki Saxon

Darlene, who’s running a great series on LinkedIn over at Interview Chatter, left this comment regarding the changes I want to make at Leadership Turn. She brings up some good questions that I want to respond to in full posts, rather than in comments.

“Miki – I like some your ideas and look forward to seeing what you do with them. I also like the idea of discussing ethics and leadership. We need more ethics, but the waters have become muddy over the years. Who today would you say is a good leader? Should our president model good/great leadership qualities? Should leaders in organization be leaders or managers or both? How does someone figure out if they are a leader? Who decides whether you are a leader? Just some questions that are rolling around in my head that may give you some fodder for writing and helping those who may aspire to lead others. Have fun!!”

Let’s start with ethics, “We need more ethics, but the waters have become muddy over the years…”
Actually, I think they’ve always been muddy, situational, fluid and simultaneously contradictory. Look at the definitions from dictionary.com

  1. (used with a singular or plural verb ) a system of moral principles: the ethics of a culture.
  2. the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.: medical ethics; Christian ethics.
  3. moral principles, as of an individual: His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence.
  4. (usually used with a singular verb ) that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

All of the descriptions use words with no absolute meaning, sticking to my usual example, murder has always been considered wrong, but the definition of murder, even today, keeps changing and often isn’t agreed upon even within the same society, e.g., the pro-choice/anti-abortion war.

Now look at the first four definitions for moral, the usual synonym,

  1. of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical: moral attitudes.
  2. expressing or conveying truths or counsel as to right conduct, as a speaker or a literary work; moralizing: a moral novel.
  3. founded on the fundamental principles of right conduct rather than on legalities, enactment, or custom: moral obligations.
  4. capable of conforming to the rules of right conduct: a moral being.

Same thing, there are no absolute terms with which to define it.

Perhaps, then, ethics should be defined by current law, but that certainly hasn’t worked. It’s far too easy to adhere to the letter of the law and totally ignore the spirit of it. That keeps you out of jail, but certainly doesn’t make you ethical.

Further, there can be conflicts between personal ethics and law, where adhering to one violates the other. Should law prevail or personal ethics? Whichever you choose, it’s because you agree on a subjective level.

People say that those decisions should be made for “the greater good.” Again, by whose definitions? I’m sure that Hitler believed his actions in “purifying the races” were for the greater good—as he saw it—however I, and a large number of other people don’t agree. But even with this example, that seems so black and white, you’ll find people who still agree with his reasoning and work to carry it forward.

I recently posted about research that shows the wide gap between what we think/say and what we do, so even “more ethics” becomes somewhat problematical.

I realize that none of this is an answer, but that’s because, to me, it’s more quandary than question.

What do you think?

http://mappingcompanysuccess.com/2007/08/are-ethical-values-set-or-fluid/
One Response to “The quandary of ethics”
  1. darlene Says:

    Very interesting post! I appreciate you writing about my question as a post. I look forward to seeing what else you come up with!!

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