Morality and the Professional Life

Description

• A focus on values important to all professionals—Provides an inclusive approach that speaks to all who aim to work professionally, not only to those aiming to practice law, medicine, or business.

  • Enables instructors to address a wider audience and stress the similarities among moral professionals. Exposes students to the broad view of what it is to be a professional, and helps them see the relevance of professional ethics. Ex.___

• A focus on how people do their work, not what type of work they do—Focuses on the values that are important to professionals and on developing the skills for moral reasoning that allow values to be interpreted.

  • Helps students explore the moral values that inform and guide the practice of occupations; encourages them to think positively about the values of their future professions (rather than negatively about the problems facing professions); and to think constructively and positively about acting as moral professionals so that they do not think of professional ethics only reactively when there is a workplace problem. Ex.___

• A thorough introduction/review of moral concepts, theories, and forms of reasoning ( Part I )—Includes chapters on moral reasons and explanation, moral theories, and a new, innovative and accessible case resolution method.

  • Ideal for students with little or no background in ethics. Provides all the tools necessary to realize a vital professional ethic. Ex.___

• A pluralist approach—Recognizes the strengths of various moral theories and enacts and harmonizes as many moral values as possible.

  • Allows instructors to conduct an open discussion of moral theories and values that recognizes the strengths of each approach. Encourages students to adopt a comprehensive view of values and theories. Ex.___

• A unified mix of text, readings, exercises, cases for discussion, and discussion questions.

  • Provides instructors with everything they need, in one text, to teach an entire course. Provides students with theoretical frameworks, interpretive skills, and many opportunities for applying and interpreting values in the workplace. Ex.___

• Literary as well as philosophical readings.

  • Keeps students engaged in issues. Ex.___

• Full discussions on specific values central to the moral life of professionals ( Part II )—e.g., integrity, respect for persons, justice, compassion, beneficence and nonmaleficence, and responsibility.

  • Offers students numerous opportunities for practice in interpreting values and applying them to the workplace. Ex.___

I. MORALITY AND THE PROFESSIONAL LIFE.

Introduction to Part I.

1. What Professions and Professionals Are.

2. What Morality Is.

3. What Professional Ethics Is.

4. Moral Reasons and Explanations.

5. Moral Theories.

6. Moral Analysis and Case Solving.

II. VALUES AT WORK.

Introduction to Part II.

7. Integrity.

8. Respect for Persons.

Readings on Integrity and Respect for Persons.

The Lynching of Jube Benson, Paul Laurence Dunbar. Whistleblowing and Employee Loyalty, Ronald Duska. Lying and the Law, Kenneth Kipnis. On Duties of Virtue toward Other Men Arising from the Respect Due Them, Immanuel Kant.

9. Justice.10. Compassion.

Readings on Justice and Compassion.

Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut. Reverse Discrimination as Unjustified, Lisa H. Newton. Justifying Reverse Discrimination in Employment, George Sher. Compassion, Lawrence Blum.

11. Beneficence and Nonmaleficence.12. Responsibility.

Readings on Beneficence and Nonmaleficence and Responsibility.

Settled Score, Sara Paretsky. The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits, Milton Friedman. Corporations and Moral Responsibility, Richard T. DeGeorge. The Duty to Treat Patients with AIDS and HIV Infection, Albert R. Jonsen.

Selected Bibliography.Credits and Permissions.Index.

For courses in Professional Ethics, Ethics and the Professions, Work and Society, and Business Ethics.

Unique in perspective, this text offers a comprehensive values-based approach to professional ethics that is sensitive to the primary ethical issues of the workplace and that offers a positive way for dealing with these issues. It focuses on values important to all professionals and on how people do their work, not what type of work they do, and recognizes the strengths of various moral theories and the ways to harmonize as many moral values as possible. Part One provides a thorough introduction to moral concepts, theories, and forms of reasoning—for students with little or no background in ethics. Part Two discusses the values that are central to the moral life of professionals—integrity, respect for persons, justice, compassion, beneficence and nonmaleficence, and responsibility. A unified mix of text, readings (from literature, philosophy, and the professional ethics canon), exercises, cases for discussion, and discussion questions offer numerous opportunities for practice in interpreting values and applying them to the workplace.