Ethicisms and their risks: 150 new cartoons about ethics at work by Muel Kaptein - HTML preview

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Serious preface

Ethics with a smile

Ethics is a critical reflection on moral values, norms, and behavior. Cartoons can be a powerful tool for this reflection: they can be used to describe and chal enge morality in a visual and humoristic way. In this manner, cartoons function as ethics with a smile.

Ethicisms

This book contains 150 cartoons. Each cartoon refers to a distinctive and fundamental view about ethics in the workplace. I call these ethicisms because they are al nouns that end with the suffix –ism.

Words that end in -ism describe how we think and how we perceive things. Ethicisms relate to the moral theories, doctrines, and ideologies that we follow.

The importance of ethicisms

The ethicisms that we follow are important for what ethics means to us, how we apply ethics, and how we expect others to behave. We cannot understand or change morality without understanding ethicisms.

A catalogue of ethicisms

This book is a catalogue of ethicisms, presented alphabetically. I present a short definition and a typical risk of each ethicism. The risk is reflected in the cartoon. I would like to thank John Körver for, based on my sketches, drawing the cartoons.

Share with others

The purpose of this book is to help one discover, hopefully with a smile, one’s own ethicisms and the risks they bring. You may also share the cartoons with others to address ethical issues in a disarming manner.

Enjoy and happy reflections!

Muel

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1. Moral absolutism

The view that particular actions

are always either right or wrong.

A risk is that ethical norms are

taken to the point of absurdity

such that other norms are

violated.

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2. Moral abstractionism

(also called idealism)

The view that ethics is about

highly ideal prescriptions that

cannot be actually realized or

operationalized. A risk is that

ethics cannot give practical

guidance.

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3. Moral absurdism

The view that we live in an

irrational universe where there is

no absolute morality so that

people are free to construct their

own morality. A risk is that this is

used as a reason to behave

irrationally and unethically.

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4. Moral accidentalism

The view that some events just

simply do not have any cause.

A risk is the denial of moral

responsibility.

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5. Moral aestheticism

The view that to be perceived as

beautiful is the highest moral

value. A risk is that unethical

behavior is permissible as long as

others do not witness or observe

it.

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6. Moral agathism

The view that the good will

ultimately triumph even though

morally evil things happen.

A risk is that every evil is tolerated

and accepted.

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7. Moral altruism

The view that the regard for the

interests of others is the sole

moral value and that concern for

one’s own interests does not

count. A risk is that one’s own

rights are violated.

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8. Amoralism

The view that ethical norms do

not have a separate objective

reality or basis. A risk is that every

ethical norm can be negotiated

and destroyed (or undermined).

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9. Moral anarchism

The view that employees should

determine the ethics of their

organization and not

management, who have no moral

authority. A risk is that employees

will set (or choose or pick out)

norms that are only in their own

interest.

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10. Moral arithmeticism

The view that what is morally

good and bad can be calculated.

A risk is that what cannot be

calculated is ignored.

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11. Moral asceticism

The view that people and

organizations should live as a

hermit or a monk: pursuing a life

characterized by self-discipline

and self-denial through solitude,

toil, fasting, and frugality. A risk is

that pettiness, narrow-

mindedness, and fastidiousness

might arise.

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12. Moral ascriptivism

The view that human beings are

to be held morally responsible for

their behavior even if it is the

result of having been influenced

by someone or something. A risk

is that people are blamed for

things that are beyond their

control.

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13. Moral authoritarianism

The view that those who have

authority possess moral

supremacy and the right to

command subordinates without

the latter’s consent. A risk is that

subordinates are ordered to

behave unethically.

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14. Moral autism

The view that one should seclude

oneself from the moral

expectations of others because

these are distracting and

demotivating. A risk is that

important (new) ethical issues and

norms are missed.

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15. Moral autocracism

The view that one person has the

absolute power (i.e., without any

constraints or control) to define

what is ethical. A risk is that the

opinions of others are not taken

into account.

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16. Moral autocueism

The view that (as reading from an

autocue) one should do and say

exactly what others have

determined, planned, or laid out

in advance. A risk is a lack of

authenticity.

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17. Moral autonomism

The view that one should strive

for autonomy to determine what

is right and wrong. A risk is the

neglect of context and society.

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18. Moral bacteriophobiaism

The view that to keep intact one’s

own integrity one should not take

any risks that may compromise it.

A risk is passivity.

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19. Moral bonism (also optimism) The view that the world and

human beings are generally or

fundamentally good but not

perfect. A risk is that evil is

ignored.

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20. Moral bureaucratism

The view that ethical behavior is

produced by an administrative

system of rules and procedures

devised by some remote person

behind a desk. A risk is the

undermining of self-regulation.

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21. Moral caveat emptorism

The view that buyers (= emptor)

and other stakeholders should be

aware of the information

asymmetry between them and the

organization and that they should

bear their responsibility.

A risk is that the organization

uses this as a justification for its

own unethical behavior.

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22. Moral circumstancism

The view that circumstances

should be perfect for one to be

able to take responsibility for

one’s behavior. A risk is there will

always be an excuse for why one

cannot be responsible.

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23. Moral classicism

The view that ethical norms were

better in the bygone days.

A risk is the ignorance of

changing circumstances that

require new norms.

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24. Moral collectivism

The view that an individual's

moral beliefs and actions should

benefit the collective (such as the

company, profession, or

community). A risk is that the

individual’s interests and integrity

are neglected.

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25. Moral communalism

(also sovereignism)

The view that each unit of an

organization should autonomously

and independently decide what is

moral for them. A risk is that the

morality of the organization

becomes inconsistent.

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26. Moral compartimentalism

The view that a person or

organization may have different

and unrelated sets of morality for

different roles and functions.

A risk is becoming disintegrated

and limited, with no

comprehensive morality.

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27. Moral concretism (also

hypostatizationism,

reificationism, and reism)

The view that morality should be

represented through concrete

things. A risk is that norms that

are not made concrete are

neglected.

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28. Moral conformism

(also tribalism)

The view that one should adopt

the morality of the group to which

one belongs. A risk is one’s

morality is sacrificed.

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29. Moral consequentialism

The view that only the

consequences and results of an

action count in determining its

rightness or wrongness.

A risk is that bad intentions and

bad behavior are not taken into

account.

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30. Moral conservatism (also

ritualism)

The view in maintaining traditions

that seek to preserve established

moral practices or that resist

change in morality.

A risk is that unethical behavior

remains unchanged.

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31. Moral constructivism

The view that morality is

constructed rather than received

and has an objective value. A risk

is that morality is destructed.

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32. Moral contextualism

The view that ethical norms are

not absolute but are dependent

on the specific context. A risk is

that the context fully determines

what is ethical.

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33. Moral contractualism

The view that what is right and

wrong is based on an explicit or

implicit agreement between

people. A risk is that everything

that has not been agreed in

advance is supposed to be

allowed.

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34. Moral controlism

The view that people will only do

the right thing when they are

being controlled through

monitoring, checks, and

inspections. A risk is that people

feel that they are not trusted.

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35. Moral conventionalism (also

normalism)

The view that people should

behave in accordance with

accepted moral norms that have

been either arbitrarily or artificially

determined. A risk is that people

follow norms that are not ethical.

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36. Moral corporatism

The view that the interests of a

corporation are most important

and should always be served.

A risk is that other legitimate

interests are violated.

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37. Moral creativitism

The view that it is acceptable to

interpret the situation and norms

to one’s own advantage while still

complying with the norms.

A risk is that the spirit of the norm

is violated.

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38. Moral cynicism

The view that one has to

approach conventional morality in

a critical way. A risk is that there

is disdain for good moral norms.

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39. Moral darwinism

The view that only the best ethics

will survive. A risk is that ethics is

seen as a competition of who has

the better ethics.

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40. Moral deconstructionism

The view that concentrates on

finding ruptures or inconsistencies

among moral norms in order to

break it down (= deconstruct).

A risk is that dilemmas, as the

conflict of norms, are seen as the

failure of ethics and thus a reason

for not behaving ethically.

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41. Moral democratism

The view that the majority defines

what is ethical and unethical.

A risk is that the moral opinions

and interests of the minority are

neglected.

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42. Deontologism

(also imperativism)

The view that emphasizes

universal imperatives such as

moral laws, duties, obligations,

and prohibitions. A risk is that no

exemptions are possible even if

the situation calls for it.

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43. Moral descriptivism

The view that ethics merely

represents or describes how

people and organizations act in

real life and that ethics cannot

prescribe normative behavior.

A risk is that ethics does not guide

behavior.

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44. Moral determinism (also

necessitarianism)

The view that all human actions

are fixed or pre-ordained by

external forces before they

happen, thereby denying the

existence of free will and human

choice. A risk is that people deny

responsibility for their actions

because they are just a product of

external forces .

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45. Moral discussabilism (also

communicationism and talkism) The view that the basis of ethics

is to discuss things and that as

long as things can be discussed

openly, then they are ethical.

A risk is that the wrong things are

discussed.

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46. Moral distancism

(also bufferism)

The view that ethics should not

become too close but kept at

arm’s length because on the one

hand, ethics is useful, but on the

other hand, it is dangerous, risky,

and a threat. A risk is that ethics

has marginal impact.

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47. Moral dogmatism

The view that emphasizes the

rigid adherence to doctrine over

rational and enlightened inquiry.

A risk is the lack of flexibility and

openness toward other opinions.

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48. Moral dualism

(also dilemmaism)

The view that the universe is

controlled by two opposing forces.

A risk is that everything is seen as

a dilemma.

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49. Moral eclecticism

The view that does not respect

the boundaries of existing moral

beliefs but instead selects ideas

from each. A risk is arbitrariness

in beliefs and ethical norms.

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50. Moral egalitarianism

The view that equality for all

humans is the most important

ethical value. A risk is that effort

and output are not stimulated.

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51. Moral egoism (also

egocentrism and egotism)

The view that right and wrong is

determined by the maximization

of self-interest. A risk is the

violation of the interests of others.

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52. Moral elitism

The view that individuals who

form an elite are above morality

and have the right to privileges.

A risk is that elites misuse their

position (and become too big for

their boots).

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53. Moral emotionalism

The view that determining right

and wrong is based on feeling.

A risk is that reason is ignored.

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54. Moral emotivism

The view that moral statements

are inherently biased and nothing

more than expressions of

emotions. A risk is that moral

judgements are dismissed as

emotional outbursts.

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55. Moral empiricism

The view that the experience of

the senses is the most reliable or

even the only source of

knowledge for moral concerns.

A risk is that people ignore

potential moral issues.

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56. Moral ethnocentrism

The view that judging the morality

of another culture should solely

be done on the basis of the

morality of one's own culture.

A risk is the ignorance of the

specific nature of other cultures.

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57. Moral eudaimonism

The view that puts personal

happiness at the center of ethical

concerns. A risk is the ignorance

about any other concerns.

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58. Moral exceptionalism (also

antinomianism and grandeurism) The view that moral norms do not

apply to those who are special

and extraordinary. A risk is that

such people think they are

permitted every unethical

behavior.

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