Sechowski, "Process for Structured Ethical Analysis and Decision Making"

SOURCE FOR THE PROCEDURE

THE PROCEDURE ITSELF

1. Understanding the situation
   1. State the facts.
   2. Decide which ones raise an ethical issue.
   3. Who are the stakeholders?
2. Isolating the major ethical dilemma
3. Analyzing the ethicality of both alternatives
   1. For each alternative, who will be harmed and who will benefit?
   2. For each alternative, list the rights and duties.
      • For rights, consider knowledge, privacy and property.
      • For duties, consider trust, integrity, truthful, justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, gratitude, reparation, self-improvement.
   3. For each alternative, who will be treated with respect or disrespect?
4. Making a decision and planning the implementation
   1. Make a defensible ethical decision.
   2. List the steps to implement it.
   3. Show how the stakeholders are affected.
   4. List other things that should be done or should have been done in the first place.

WALT'S CHECKLIST

• This method is most useful when the DECISION-MAKER ...
  • has high initial sensitivity to relevant ethical "features" [step 1a]
  • has plenty of time for investigation and analysis [step 3]
  • is skilled in causal or consequential reasoning [steps 3a and 4c]
  • is skilled in conflict- or dilemma-resolution methods [step 3]
  • is skilled in the application of general ethical principles to specific cases [step 3]
• This method is most useful in a SITUATION ...
  
  • that will change little over time
• This method is most useful when STAKEHOLDERS ...
  • share ethical principles [step 3]
  • share values [step 3]

Index