Ethics is often interpreted as simply compliance with rules or a code of conduct. As a compliance exercise, it may be driven by the desire to avoid punishment or penalties for infractions. However, ethics means something different: it is ‘doing the right thing’ by others.
The general aim of the webinar is to improve ethical reasoning skills for AES and AEPs. The specific aims are to:
• flesh out the meaning of ‘doing the right thing’ in professional practices
• enhance the ability to identify and manage ethically dubious practices
Ethical reasoning incorporates the following five approaches and their respective principles:
• Rights (respect for autonomy, duty of care, beneficence, non-maleficence)
• Utilitarian (greatest good for greatest number)
• Justice/Fairness (merit, equality, inclusion, equity)
• Common Good (foundation conditions for good life or best practice)
• Virtue (valued and relevant character traits)
Upon completion of the webinar, participants should be able to demonstrate the following:
• the ability to use the rights approach to evaluate professional problems and defend solutions
• the ability to use the utilitarian approach to evaluate professional problems and defend solutions
• the ability to use the justice/fairness approach to evaluate professional problems and defend solutions
