Fire Service Ethics Chapter 2 Judging Behavior

22 23 24 25 26 Chapter 2 Judging Behavior For study of ethics to have a practical value, it must ultimately lead to guidance as to what is good, right, just, or proper behavior. Judging behavior relies on these concepts: “Building blocks”: 1. SOCIAL NORMS, 2. MORALS 3. EITHICS 4. LAWS One individual to effectively evaluate the “rightness “of an action here she must consider the criteria being used to evaluate. Social norms: “normal behavior “within a particular social group or culture. 1. FOLKWAYS: Unofficial practice, and rituals that define everyday behaviors. For example, rude and polite behaviors.  Exert a form of social pressure to act a certain way  Do not have moral significance  Rarely formal consequences or sanctions for violating one.  Typically, not officially enforced, violations can cause embarrassment 2. MORES: stricter than folkways. Sanctions for violating mores may likewise be serious.  Often enforced by law  Examples include nudity, racism, acts of violence.  Arise from social convention - Different than morality which tends to arise from religious or universal concept of good and evil. 3. TABOOS: groups, strongest negative norm. Strict prohibition of behavior and its violation may illicit outrage and discussed. Examples would include shunning, legal proceedings, and even violence. Other examples include polygamy, pedophilia, and incest.  Different than it mortality, which springs from a concept of ideal behavior. Theologians: makes a distinction between the concepts of Mores and taboo with that of mortality. Sociologist: look at a social norm in terms of what people do and do not make a definitive distinction between the concepts of mores and taboos would that of morality. Clarification: 1. Mores and taboo are typically used as an academic term to describe cultural belief. 2. Morality is typically used to describe ideal behavior 3. Mores and taboo describe what people do whereas mortality describes what people should do 1950: dozens of words and phrases considered unfit for TV, now there are very few. Social norms evolve and are constantly tested. Mortality: MALUM IN SE: Latin, “wrong “or “evil in itself “. Conduct believes to be sinful or inherently wrong by nature, independent of regulations or social conventions, covering the conduct. Morality can be attached to thought and motion, even in the absence of action.  Judio Christian tradition considers lust in hatred and moral whether act upon or not.  People can attach more value to actions independent from consequences  A behavior can be immoral, even if the act harms no one else. Debate over Moral Imperatives, 4 general theories: 1. Divine command theory: A thing is moral, good because God wills it. morality originates from God. 2. Theory of forms: natural force that governs the systems of the universe. Responsible for both the laws of physics and those of metaphysics. Karma.  Seeks to create balance, and From that comes the universal concept of good or bad.  Initially put forth by Plato 3. Natural law theory: good and evil are hardwired into human beings. Goodness was the natural state of a man, innate trait  Was advanced by Thomas Aquinas 13th century and further by Charles Darwin and later by EO Wilson 1975. 4. Social conditioning: moral concepts are result of social conditioning. Stems from manifestation of social needs. Example would be mating outside of marriage.  Skinner  If morality arises from practical need, then moral imperative is irrelevant absent that original need. ETHICS: Development, evaluation, and study of behavior, boundaries and expectations within impersonal and professional interactions with others. 1. Similar to social norms: seek to define boundaries of acceptable human behavior 2. Similar to morality: to establish accepted standards of right and wrong 3. Ethics differ: rooted in the evaluation of how an action affects others. 4. Moral standards: rooted in their compliance to a universal understanding of right and wrong, contrast to ethics are based on an actions effect on a human. What theories have in common: they evaluate the correctness of an action as it relates to the direct effect on others, or in compliance to responsibilities assume within human relationships. 27 28 29 30 Within ethics, two distinct applications: 1. PERSONAL ETHICS: individual personal code of behavior in dealing with others socially 2. PROFFESTIONAL ETHICS: standards or codes of conduct set by people in a specific profession.  Difference between personal and professional ethics: professional is imposed, externally, usually specific, most importantly, may conflict with personal ethics or even morality codes. Would be a lawyer. Laws arises from 3 separate social intentions: 1. MALUM PROHIBITUM: An action is wrong because the law says so.  No moral or ethical value attached to compliance or noncompliance. Example would be wearing a seatbelt. 2. JUSTITIA SOCIALIS: body of law that seeks to maintain justice and fairness within a society. Protect individual rights and tort law. Example would be the bill. Often controversial and enforcement can be difficult. Fire codes are prime example. 3. MALUM IN SE: wrong at face value. Example would be murder or robbery. Distinctions among law and ethics, morality, and social norms: 1. Folkways: define expected behaviors, unofficially, enforced, arise at a tradition and custom, no moral consequences 2. Morals: define good and bad, righteous versus wicked, universally, excepted truth, arise from religion or philosophy, unbounded. 3. Ethics: define right, fair, and just. Based on human interactions, socially enforced, arise from personal or professional values. 4. LAW: Legal and illegal. Enforced by state. Arise from morals, social needs, or social values. Clearly defined and limited. Finite. “Clear bright lines “that defined time and Locale. Justice in fairness: 1. Justice: conceptual standard of rightness and fairness based on contextual good without reference to one’s feelings or interest. Based on principles of fairness to groups of individuals of unequal circumstances. Foundation upon which societies function.  US Constitution made it clear that government cannot function without justice. 2. Fairness: ability to make judgments that are not overly general in specific to a particular case. Equal distribution without bias or regard. Equal treatment with equal circumstances. Basis for most individual interactions. Fairness can be applied to the treatment of individuals, and the concept of justice can be applied to groups with a more abstract consequence. Justice in fairness is important and sometimes complex, especially when it comes to the concepts, such as diversity. Respect for fairness and justice will actively shape our opinions of others. MORAL DISENGAGEMENT: rationalizing of improper actions. Conscience or self-censure our suspended by convincing ourselves that unique or unfair circumstances justify behavior that is otherwise considered unethical or immoral. Cultural fluidity and ethics: Gradual and in increments. 1. Issues with cultural changes in morality and ethics are not always external. Postmodern theorist assert that even increasing cultural diversity tends to homogenized belief systems. As a result, populations are losing faith in what were once regarded as universal truths. Giving rise to an increasing adoption of situational ethics. 2. SITUATIONAL ETHICS: Believe that intend and outcome shape, ethical expectations. 3. GAME THEORY ETHICS: Business ethics that seem to be less focused on humanistic virtues, and increasingly based on game theory ethics. The obligation is negated when all participating parties have no expectations of ethical compliance. Example would be it’s OK to lie if everybody’s doing it. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FIRE SERVICE: 1. Tradition of maintaining discipline 2. Great emphasis on routine, teamwork, and group identity 3. Conspire to reinforce adherence to rule and policy 4. Emphasis on accountability which promotes ethical behavior. Can create bureaucracy: issues, particularly the potential for disconnection between high-ranking officers and company officers.  Junior and most inexperienced officers are the heart and soul of the department.  Battalion chiefs barely know what’s really going on in stations.