Normative Ethics: Utilitarianism and Deontology

Running head: Normative Ethics: Utilitarianism and Deontology

Normative Ethics: Utilitarianism Deontology

Ethics are a personal set of values used by an individual to guide their actions, and to recognize any obligation. They are a continuously evolving code of conduct dependent upon circumstances and the life experiences of the individual. With actions that can be measured by “right” and “wrong”. Ethics are not primarily concerned with the description of moral systems in societies but are more or less the backbone of the American industry, whether an organization has good or bad ethical standards ethics is an issue for all people.

“Ethical problems arise not only from the difficulties experienced in making a valid moral judgment, but also from practical obstacles to the execution of even a correct decision” (Pastin 1). Often, it is harder to go through with a morally correct decision even though you know it is the right thing to do.

There are many definitions of ethics, but, according to author Herbert Johnston, ethics is concerned with two things: human conduct and what ought to be done (Johnston 1-2). It also involves people’s perceptions about what “should” be done. People have duties to do what is right and not to hurt other people essentially, ethics involve obligations. Johnston also defines ethics as “a practical, philosophical science by which we may reach conclusions concerning the rightness or wrongness of voluntary acts as related to our last end” (Johnston 25). Johnston is saying that ethics are judgments based on society’s set of moral standards that result in either good outcomes or bad outcomes, depending on the goodness or badness of the judgment.

There are two types of normative ethics deontological and utilitarian ethics. Deontological ethics are the ethics of duty and obligations while utilitarianism is an ethical framework that focuses on the outcome or results of actions. Deontologists maintain that actions are intrinsically right or wrong regardless or the consequences and that consequences indeed should not even enter in to the decision of how to behave. In fact, an individual who practices deontological ethics could completely believe in the virtues of the outcome of a particular behavior, but still believe that said behavior should not be performed because the behavior itself is morally wrong (Kordig, 1973). It is the behavior that has “intrinsic value” (Roth, 1995); the intent behind the action is what matters, not the outcome of said action. Utilitarianism ethics is considered to be any moral theory corresponding to which an action is right if and only if it conforms to the principle of utility, or productiveness. Utilitarianism represents an extension into moral theory of an experimental, scientific mode of reasoning because it involves the calculation of causal consequences.

What are a CEO’s liability limits and should they be prosecuted? First let me describe the three duties of a CEO.

A chief executive officer or CEO is much more than just another upper level manager who has been promoted due to a standard of experience or performance. CEO's function as the main artery between cooperate board members and the various levels of the organization itself. The CEO is often held solely responsible for the success or failure of a corporation. It is also the CEO's responsibility to maintain and implement the corporate objectives established by the board members. There are three major responsibilities of a corporate CEO.

First a CEO must have is a vision he/she must be able to look into the future and predict changes as well as to project solutions to these changes. Seeing what is coming is only half of the job. Communicating this change to all other parts of the corporation is just as important. This means that a CEO must be a visionary, a problem solver, and a communicator.

The second requirement is that a CEO must be a positive role model for the entire organization everything from how he/she dresses to what his or her values and attitudes represent, serve as models for employees and managers alike. Therefore, the CEO has the responsibility of setting a good example for the corporation.

Third responsibility is that a CEO should set performance standards for the company and should promote those standards with confidence. The CEO must determine what standards are required to maintain a competitive advantage in the industry and implement these standards into the output of the corporation. Standards need to be set high to remain competitive yet still be within an attainable range.

When referring to the WorldCom fiasco the word “CEO” brings