Embrace the Grey

It is no easy exercise to read this stuff. Sorry to refer to Kant, Aristotle, and gang as stuff… I mean it in only the most endearing manner…of course.

Our first reading reinforces my perception that we live in a world of grey, and that black and white solutions, while they look very reassuring, have less application in the modern day-to-day struggle for ethical continuity. While Kant, Bentham, and even Mill are no ethical wimps, they present a dilemma in that they are a bit formulaic in their approach to determining the “right” course of action in modern business ethics problems. You kind of get the feel of, “If this, then that” problem solving in which if you plug in the “this”, then you can get the appropriate “that” and move on your way. As long as you follow these principles, you will be ethically golden. The problem I have with this approach is that it misses the significance of the contextual and situational relevance of particular problems with their own special circumstances, especially in a modern corporation. This -follow the principle- approach seems to absolve to decision-maker from conducting a thorough intelligent analysis of a particular problem.

While Aristotle and Dewey have their own issues, the Aristotelian view leaves some practical room for business decisions by allowing for businesses (and managers) to make calculated decisions, that are on the surface “not good” (says Kant), even though necessary for the good of the company (i.e., laying off qualified – loyal employees). These are ethically “tough” decisions that are sometimes part of the territory. An extreme focus on motives as needing to be only virtuous is placed on the back-burner for a more moderate view that recognizes that the companies health will require actions that may be “selfishly” motivated (though not necessarily in a way inconsistent with Aristotle’s six virtues).

Dewey finally gives us morally/ethically challenged business people something we can use: Dewey treats ethics as a pragmatic process of intelligent deliberation based on the context of the problem to be solved, and its environment. When reading the case “What Price for Safety” in the context of Dewey, I find myself informed by Dewey’s need to find a solution that brings harmony to the environment. And even Aristotle would allow you to make a “judgement call” in this case. Dewey’s empiricism might want to take more time to deliberate than the real world would usually allow, but Dewey is aware that sometimes empirical data will need to be processed from real time applications (experiments) that will inform and evolve us toward better processes and improved character. At least Dewey gives us hope in that, with practice (or experimentation) we will get better. One can only hope.