Allen Mooneyhan
Politics
of Education
Personal
Reflections
Set
#1
Dr.
Mitchell Holifield
Arkansas
State University
June
13, 2001
I
am beginning to see the ethical reasoning model more clearly than I did a few
days ago. Last night, the cohort
discussed the case of the English teacher who was also a stripper.
Three actions were listed as possible decisions to be made by the
principal. These actions were to do
nothing, to speak with the teacher about quitting her job as a stripper, and
counseling the teacher.
While discussing the possibility of choosing to do nothing as an action
by the principal, we began to look at this decision through each of the lenses
of the ethical reasoning model. Those
lenses include care, utility, rights, justice, and categorical imperative.
The act of actually going through the process of looking at each of the
claimants through each of these points of view caused me to develop a greater
understanding of what each of these lenses meant.
Another benefit of last night's class was the discussion of
consequentialists and non-consequentialists.
Before the discussion I could recognize that these terms applied to
motives behind decisions made with regard to ethics but was very unclear as to
the differences between these two terms. After
being exposed to it in a situation which simulated a "real world"
experience, I understand that a consequentialists believes that one should
choose his or her actions based, at least in part, on what the consequences of
that decision will be. On the other
hand, a non-consequentialist believes that one should choose his or her actions
based on what is right and the consequences of that decision should have no
bearing on whether or not the decision is made.
In going through the process of determining ethical implications of
decisions and actions with the use of the ethical reasoning model, I have become
concerned about what this model may be used for.
If I am not careful, I will simply use it to further justify what I have
already decided instead of using it to cause me to look at possible actions from
different points of view.
While going through the lenses, I found myself looking for ways to
justify what I wanted to convey. At
that point, I realized that I was not open to the option of determining that I
was incorrect in my decision. Therefore,
I will attempt to make an effort to keep an open mind when dealing with the
lenses of the ethical reasoning model. This
may allow me to debate (with myself) points that I would have traditionally
considered standard or absolute.