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Expectations for Ethics Term Paper
DUE APRIL 9
4-6 page paper on some aspect of what you view as evidence of unethical behavior in agriculture or in your rural community.
If you are not from a farm or rural community you may chose one of the topics from Cochrane or from the other assigned readings, or from some other source.
Paper Outline
Illustration of some unethical behavior in farming, agriculture or rural life.
Define what you mean by ethics and why you feel this issue, event or practice is unethical?
Why do you define this action, issue, or event is unethical?
Ethics Help Define Who We Are and Describes our Culture
“Character is not the same thing as reputation. Character is what you are. Reputation is what people say you are.”Josephson, 2002
Expectations
• Describe an ethical issue in agriculture
• Provide a rationale for why this action/behavior or decision is or was unethical
• What are the consequences, how would you approach this decision?
• How could this have been decided or handled in a better way
Outline (continued) What can or should be done to
correct this problem? What remedies or solutions might
exist? What are the long term
implications if nothing is done? Who should take leadership in
raising ethical standards in agriculture, farming and rural life?
What is ethics anyway? Standards of conduct Standards that indicate how one
should behave based upon moral duties and virtues
Principals of right and wrong As a practical matter, ethics is about
how we meet the challenge of doing the right thing when that will cost more than we want to pay.
Aspects of Ethics
Ability to discern right from wrong, good and evil, propriety from impropriety
Commitment to do what is right, proper and good. Ethics entails action not just thoughts
What is meant by ethics? Helps us discern what is right or wrong Doing what the law requires Standards of behavior Doing what society expects
Standards of right and wrong that prescribe what people ought to do in terms of rights, benefits to society, fairness, etc
Standards of behavior that tell us how people ought to act in many situations in which they find themselves in
Utilitarian Approach The Rights Approach Fairness or Justice Common Good Virtue
What Iowa Farmers Told Us(2002 Farm Poll, n=1942)
At one time a person’s word was as good as a signed contract; now you must get it in writing. 93% somewhat or strongly agreed
In general, ethical standards in society have declined. 87% agreed
What farmers told us I used to take a persons’ word as
measure of his/her honor, but now-a-days you can’t always simply accept what a person tells you. 85% agreed.
One reason ethical standards have declined is that people have lost respect for authority. 70% agreed
Often people admit they are not being ethical in paying the full amount of their taxes. 49% agreed.
What farmers told us
Even among friends and neighbors, I am concerned that they no longer feel obliged to honor their word. 37% agreed
Farmer’s ethical standards have declined. 57% agreed
How have ethics changed?% Decline in past 10 years
Clergy 24% Neighbors 31 Local Merchants 36 Local Agribusiness 37 Lenders 41 Farmers 45 Youth and young adults68 Local elected officials 70 Elected state officials 72
The Six Pillars of Character(Source: Josephson, Making Ethical Decisions)
Trustworthiness Honesty Truthfulness Sincerity Candor Honesty in conduct Integrity Relability
The Six Pillars of Character(Source: Josephson, Making Ethical Decisions)
Respect Civility, courtesy, and decency Dignity and autonomy Tolerance and acceptance
Responsibility Accountability Pursuit of Excellence Self Restraint
The Six Pillars of Character(Source: Josephson, Making Ethical Decisions)
Fairness Process Impartiality Equity
Caring
Citizenship
Some guides to determine if an action is ethical
1. The Golden Rule, “you act in a way that you would expect others to act toward you”
2. The Professional Ethic, “You take only those actions that would be viewed as proper by an objective panel of your professional peers”
3. Kant’s Categorical Imperative, “Ask yourself, “What if everyone behaved this way?”
4. Child on Your Shoulder, “Would you proudly make the same decision if your young child were witnessing your choice?”
5. TV Test, Could you explain and justify your actions to general television audience?”
6. The Des Moines Register Test, “Would you like your friends and neighbors to read about this?”
Four simple questions
1. Could you or someone else suffer physical harm?
2. Could you or someone else suffer emotional pain?
3. Could the decision hurt your reputation, undermine your credibility, or damage important relationships?
4. Could the decision impede the achievement of any important goal?
Seven Steps to Better Decisions
1. Stop and think2. Clarify goals3. Determine Facts4. Develop options5. Consider consequences6. Choose7. Monitor and modify
What happens when there is not adherence to a code of ethics?
People begin to “cut corners” Most unethical and illegal activities start
small Rationale or justifications often include,
“everyone else is doing it” Erosion in ethics brings about greater
regulation because trust has been violated
Rules, regulations and laws reflect the formalization of ethics
Erosion in Ethics=Distrustful Culture
Where people no longer trust each other
Where extreme individualism is primary Where people no longer know each
other With diminished respect, trust and
cooperation, there are calls for regulations to monitor or regulate behaviors/actions
Symptoms of Distrust in Agriculture
Legal representation Formalized contracts Fear of Liability—liability insurance Less personal contact—fear of
strangers Formal communication Suspiciousness
What are some examples that display ethics or the lack of ethics
Slavery—it was legal, was it ethical Denying the rights of women to
own property or to vote Indian removal Navigation Acts Land expropriation
Contemporary examples Displacing a tenant for $5.00 acre more rent Calling upon the widow before her husband’s
funeral about renting her farm Encouraging over-application of fertilizer
because of incentives you will receive Trading in a tractor that you know has major
problems without disclosing to the dealer Failure to deliver on a promise
The Golden Rule “You act in a way that you
would expect others to act toward you” or “treat others as you would like to be treated”
Guides for Deciding If An Action is Ethical
Guides for Deciding If An Action is Ethical
Professional Ethic You take only those actions which
would be viewed as “proper” by an objective panel of your professional colleagues.
Guides for Deciding If An Action is Ethical
Kant’s Categorical Imperative Ask yourself, “ What if everyone
behaved this way?”
Guides for Deciding If An Action is Ethical
Child on Your Shoulders Test Would you proudly make the same
decision if your young child were witnessing your choice?
Guides for Deciding If An Action is Ethical
TV Test Could you explain and justify your
actions to a general television audience?
Have Ethics Changed?
Among farmers? Among people in your community? Among all Americans? Among youth and young adults?
Examples of Unethical Behavior
As a new employee in sales of an agribusiness firm you work hard to meet your quota, and sometimes this means that you encourage farmer-customers to buy more fertilizer than they actually need.
You observe a co-worker putting computer disks in his briefcase that you are certain he is planning on using to use for personal use.
What if it were a rubber band or paper clip, or what about borrowing the company car for personal use? Should these be treated the same?
As purebred livestock breeder, you sell someone stock that you know has some genetic defects, but you fail to points these defects?
Your niece who works at a bank calls you with some hot “inside information” about a proposed merger that could make you a handsome profit?
Because you have earned several frequent flyer miles on trips that your company paid for, you decide to use the discount to take a fishing trip instead of applying them to company business?
You observe a fellow colleague using the company computer during work hours to play computer games?
Other examples
Building a CAFO closer to your neighbor’s house than your house
Failure to follow recommended farming practices eg spreading manure on frozen ground, excessive tillage, over application of fertilizer, etc
Being aggressive in bidding up land rental rates
Not doing business with local cooperative or with other local businesses
What about layer batteries or sow crates—are they inhumane and unethical?
Is lying ever justified? Under what circumstances might
lying being the ethical thing to do?
Reasons Why People Act Unethically
It was necessary It was legal I did it for their benefit I was only fighting fire with fire It didn’t hurt anyone Everyone else is doing it I did not personally gain I deserved it
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten Robert Fulghum
Share everything Play fair Don’t hit people Put things back where you
found them Clean up your own mess Don’t take things that
aren’t yours Say you are sorry when
you hurt somebody Wash your hands before
you eat
Flush Warm cookies and cold
milk are good for you Live a balanced life--learn
some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work everyday some
Take a nap every afternoon When you go out into the
world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten (continued)
Beware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the cup: the roots go down and plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are like that
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the styrofoam cup-they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick and Jane books and the first word you learned-- the biggest word of all--LOOK.