ENGR 482 Lecture 2
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Analyzing Moral Problems into Four Components
Factual Issues
c.f. Facts, which are known and uncontroversial
Factual Issue: Question of fact which is both
- unknown or controversial and
- relevant to the moral problem
These can be hard to answer
e.g. future outcomes (only know probability)
Conceptual Issue
Question about the meaning or definition of a term that is crucial in the moral analysis:
e.g. "clean", "safe", "acceptable risk", "bribe", "conflict of interest", etc.
Resolved by either:
- finding definition in appropriate policies or laws, or
- coming up with one of our own by looking at typical or paradigm examples
Give a precise definition and—even better—explain reasoning behind the definition
Application Issue
Question about whether a concept applies in a given situation:
Is this (really) a "bribe"/"conflict of interest"/"safe"/etc?
Moral Issue
Arise when we must decide whether an act is right or wrong
Many application issues are really moral issues
Imprtant distinctions:
- presumptive judgement
- preliminary judgement about what is right and what is wrong when not all factors have been considered
- "this is a violation of confidentiality, so it's probably wrong"
- All-Things-Considered Judgement
- A final judgement when all factors have been considered
- "This violation of confidentiality is justified because the safety of the public is at risk.
Examples
"Whistleblowing always and necessarily involves going outside the organization" (conceptual issue)
"Roger Boisjoly was a whistleblower" (application issue)
"A person should always have good reason to blow the whistle" (moral issue)
"Some scholars believe that whistleblowing does not necessarily involve going public" (factual issue)
"Refusing to sign a document authorizing the launch of the Challenger was not whisleblowing" (application issue)
Line-Drawing Problems
A method for Evaluating a "Test Case" with respect to a Spectrum of Cases
Denise is an engineer at a large construction firm. Her job is to specify rivets for the construction of a large apartement building. After some research and testing, she decides to use ACME rivets for the job. On the day after she orders the riveds, an ACME representative vists her and gives her a voucher for a paid trip to the ACME place in Jamaica.
- Is the trip to Jamaica a bribe? (application issue)
- Is accepting the trip morally permissible? (moral issue)
| Features | Positive Paradigm | Test Case | Negative Paradigm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gift Size | $1.00 | X | $5,000 |
| Timing | After decision | X | Before Decision |
| Reason | Education | X | Pleasure |
| Power | None | X | Sole |
| Quality of product | best | X | worst |
Based on the more heavily weighted factors (circled), this is probably not a bribe
Creatie Middle-Way Solutions to Moral Problems
Easy Choices vs. Hard choices: When the
Example
A supervisor asks a student to fill out a time sheet indicating he worked on Project B when he in fact worked on Project A. The supervisor had money for project B...
Student refused and instead offered to work without pay. The supervisor paid the student out of his own pocket.
Example 4
Brad finds that his work is not being checked, as his supervisor alleges. and is being delivered directly to the client.
Conflicting values:
- Keeping job
- Risking personal integrity, professional reputation, and possible legal problems
Options:
- Ask supervisor to check
- Ask friends in the firm to help him change supervisor's mind
- Find another job and report to Texas Board of Professional Engineers
- Find another job and keep the information to himself
- Go to the press and blow the whistle
- Continue in his present job without protest