Tag Archives: Consequentialism
A Strong Consequentialist Argument for Steve Jobs’ Liver…But Is It Right?
I can’t fault Jobs, whose life was (and, sadly, still is) in peril, for doing everything the rules permit to locate a suitable liver as quickly as possible, even though it could be called using a loop-hole, and is contrary to the spirit of the distribution rules. Richard Ludlow’s defense, nonetheless, has the flavor of a rationalization; essentially he is arguing that the system is flawed anyway, so it is justifiable to manipulate it. Continue reading
Ugly Consequentialism: The Daily Beast Backs Perez Hilton
The Daily Beast is proving that it is a playpen, occupied by reporters, columnists and editors with the ethical sophistication of gradeschoolers. Continue reading
Aesop’s Unethical and Misleading Fable: “The North Wind and the Sun”
Well, they can’t all be winners, Aesop, but this fable really needs to be pulled from the collection. It’s a stinker. Continue reading
Judge Vinson’s Ruling on the Individual Mandate, Rejecting Utilitarianism
Whether his legal analysis is sufficient to convince the U.S. Supreme Court will be decided later, but the judge’s ethical analysis is impeccable. Continue reading
Ethics Dunce: Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.)
I know that Ethics Alarms has been a bit relentless regarding the accusations and the innuendos against Sarah Palin and others in the wake of the Arizona shooting, but it is an unusually widespread out-break of unfair conduct, and the Ethics Dunces are coming in waves, and from all sides and sectors. Continue reading
Ethics Final For Barack Obama
If the President emulates his Democratic predecessor, Bill Clinton, using the massacre in Arizona as a political wedge the way Clinton used the Oklahoma City bombing—if he adopts the philosophy of former Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emmanuel that one should never waste a crisis—then we will know the dispiriting truth about Barack Obama. Continue reading
On the Post-Shooting Finger-Pointing Apology Watch
The list of supposedly responsible commentators and elected officials who engaged in this is too long to compile, but everyone should take note of which of them has the integrity and the honesty not only to apologize to those they smeared and the public they willfully misled, but also to pledge never to do something like this again. Continue reading
Filed under Government & Politics, Journalism & Media, Leadership, The Internet, U.S. Society
Partisan Opportunism: The Media and the Arizona Massacre:
The shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a Federal judge, and 18 others yesterday has exposed media bias and unfairness at its despicable worst. Continue reading
Incompetent Advice from “The Ethicist”
Cohen’s response to the questioner is worse than his typical periodic gaffes. In this case, he has misappropriated the role of the courts, instigated the breach of an agreement, rationalized theft, and and more—all without having enough facts to make such a risky recommendation. Continue reading
TARP Ethics Dilemmas: A Guide For Advocates and Critics
When a policy, like TARP, that is widely criticized as wrong-headed in principle actually works, it presents ethical problems for both advocates and critics alike. Continue reading
Filed under Business & Commercial, Finance, Government & Politics
