Ethics

As illustrated by the class taking turns answering "Scruples" questions, ethics can be a complex subject. In terms of approaching ethics in a work setting, it is helpful to separate the problem into an ethical analysis portion and an implementation or response portion. The implementation invariably involves interacting with people. Thus our previous discussions on office politics are critically important in a good response. As before, the response may be thought of as a leadership situation: we want the organization to accept our ethical analysis and thus are providing leadership.

Most books on ethics focus on the analysis portion. There are non-Christian ethical models, the simplest being a "normative" model where what is right is simply what the majority agree upon. There are multiple Christian frameworks for ethical thinking. The ultimate, of course, is the entire Bible. Conversely, a simple one is to go back to our original discussion on the meaning of work and the meaning of life. "To glorify God and to enjoy him forever" can be a basis of ethical behaviour. Other authors will provide a simple checklist; yet others will provide a very complex model for thinking.

The Intervarsity Ministry in Daily Life website provides a three prong ethical model that is a summary of Alexander Hill's book, "Just Business: Christian Ethics for the Marketplace". It asserts holiness, justice and love are the key Christian concepts relevant to ethical thinking. More interestingly, it presents it as a triangular balance of these concepts: holiness in it's extreme is isolating; justice without love is harsh; love needs to be "tough" and not permissive. Because these elements need to be balanced, it provides a richer model for thinking than a simple checklist. At the same time, three items make it simple enough to be remembered. The rest of the class was spent apply this to some sample situations.

(As a side note, while the distinction between "morals" and "ethics" is often blurred, introductory philosophy courses will define morals as the precepts you hold whereas ethics is the study of such precepts.)