moral imagination
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04/19/23 (c) Lawrence M. Hinman 1
Lawrence M. Hinman, Ph.D.Director, The Values InstituteUniversity of San Diego
Moral ImaginationMoral ImaginationWhat it is and why you need it in
the business, law, and life
USD Academy for Financial USD Academy for Financial and Estate Planningand Estate Planning
November 9, 2005
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Moral Imagination: Overview
The Scandal Approach to ethics The challenge An example of moral imagination It’s not just what we do, but how
we do it From “either-or” to “both-and” Discussion
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Business Ethics—no shortage of scandals
Adelphia Enron HealthSouth and Scrushy Imclone and Martha
Stewart Tyco's WorldCom Qwest Communications Dick Grasso's
controversial pay package Exxon Mobil profits ($9.9B
for 3rd quarter)
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Legal & Government Ethics
Ralph Inzunza and Michael Zucchet
Duke Cunningham I. “Scooter” Libby San Diego pension
scandal
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The Scandal Approachto Ethics
Points out what is wrong Usually with other people Too easy Doesn’t provide leadership
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Another Approach:Moral Imagination
The real moral challenge: how to create goodness out of bad situations
Moral imagination can help us to do that.
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Truth and Reconciliation Hearings In South Africa and several South
American countries, after the overthrow of repressive regimes, leaders faced a difficult challenge: whether or not to hold trials for the crimes committed by the previous regime. – To hold trials threatened to continue
an unending cycle of recriminations and bitterness
– Not to hold trials seemed to condone the crimes of the past and devalue the suffering of the persecuted
Truth and reconciliation hearings showed moral imagination, looking for a way of combining both accountability and healing.
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Nelson Mandela
In a nation scarred by deep bitterness and hatred, Mandela saw the possibility of goodness in an evil world
Invitation to his jailer to attend inauguration
Wearing the Springbok cap
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It’s not just what we do, but how we do it:
The role of moral imagination in informing our actions
Not only is it important to do the right thing, but to do the right thing well—and this requires moral imagination.
Example #1: Telling the truth well– Giving clients bad news
Example #2: Disciplining students– Pacific Northwest example
Example #3: Helping your child to understand the world. What happens, for example, when your child sees a teacher not being fair? Seeing injustice in the world?
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Moral Imagination and Finding a Common Ground
Moral imagination allows us to find the common ground beneath seemingly irreconcilable positions.
The challenge: to imagine a possibility that preserves the shared value linking apparently incompatible positions.
Imagination allows us to discern—recall Ignatius’ beautiful phrase, “the discernment of the spirit”—the possibilities of goodness in a situation, and this is essentially an imaginative act.
The real moral challenge is figuring out how to bring goodness out of bad situations.
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The Moral “Sweet Spot”
One of the goals of moral imagination is to find the moral “sweet spot,” that is, the point at which altruism and self-interest coincide.
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Either/Or In business, law and the social sciences—
psychology, sociology, political science, sociobiology, economics—discussions of selfishness and altruism often presume that these are polar opposites, sometimes even mutually exclusive.
Often in business, we must choose between self-interest and helping other people.
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Visualizing the Dichotomy
One model sees selfishness and altruism as opposite ends of a continuum:
The more altruistic you are, the less selfish you are, and vice versa.
Altruism Egoism
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A different way of looking at things
In this presentation, I shall argue that this dichotomy is both mistaken and misleading in harmful ways.
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Let’s Think about This in a New Way
Instead of seeing this one a single scale, we can see egoism and altruism as two independent axes:
Conceptualizing the issue in this way allows some actions to be done both for the sake of others and for one’s own sake, and avoids falling into a false dichotomy between altruism and egoism.
Helpsothers
Hurtsself
Hurtsothers
Helpsself
14
3 2
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The Moral Sweet Spot:Reconciling Egoism and Altruism in the Real World
Ideally, we seek a society in which self-interest and regard for others converge—the green zone.
Egoism at the expense of others and altruism at the expense of self-interest both create worlds in which goodness and self-regard are mutually exclusive—the yellow yellow zonezone.
No one want the red zone, which is against both self-interest and regard for others.
The Moral Sweet Spot”Helps
others
Hurtsyourself
Hurtsothers
HelpsYourself
Self-sacrificingaltruism
Self-interestat the expense
of others
Self-interestand regardfor othersconverge
Not beneficialeither to self
or others
Looking out for #1
Drug addictionAlcoholism, etc.
The life of duty& self-sacrifice
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On-line music,intellectual property on the web
We can see the challenge in regard to on-line music and other intellectual property
Often, it is harder to pay for music than to pirate it, at least until iTunes
The Moral Sweet Spot”Benefits
Authors & distributors
Hurtsusers
HurtsAuthors & distributors
Helpsusers
Most pay-for-music
sites
Napster, etc.
iTunes?
No on-lne musicat all
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Stem cell research The challenge of
stem cell research has been to find a way to derive the benefits of stem cell research without the destruction of human embryos
Now, scientists are developing ways—such as regressing adult skin cells—that fall into the green zone.
The Moral Sweet Spot”Helps
embryos &fetuses
Hurtsthose who
are ill
Hurtsembryos &
fetuses
Helpsthose who
are ill
Ban on using human
embryos;embryo adoption
Stem cellresearch that
Destroysembryos
Regressing
adultskin cells
Ban on usinghuman
embryos?
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Wal-Mart vs. Costco
HighBenefit to Others
Low Benefit to Self
LowBenefit to Others
HighBenefit to Self
Needless Markup
Wal-Mart
Costco
Don’t shop here!
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NIH ScientistsHighBenefit to Others
Low BenefitTo Self
LowBenefit to Others
HighBenefit to Self
Reduce conflict of interest,Retain
incentives
Give upall stock,
consulting
UnlimitedPrivate
Interests
Reductionin scientific
research
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Designing Laws & Regulations
This framework not only allows us to discern ways in which we can act, but it also provides guidelines for constructing laws & regulations.
The best laws & regulations maximize the green zone, minimizing yellow and red.
The worse laws & regulations minimize the green zone, maximizing yellow and red.
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Little possibility forwin-win solutions
The Worst Societies
A society that continually forces individuals to choose between their own self-interest and the interest of others establish win-lose scenarios.
No one want the red zone, which is against both self-interest and regard for others.
HighEgoism
HighAltruism
Low Egoism
LowAltruism
Self-sacrificingaltruism
Self-interestat expenseof others
Self-interestand regardfor othersconverge
Not beneficialto self
or others
Some who sacrificefor common good
Many out justfor themselves
Drug addictionAlcoholism, etc.
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Maximizingthe “Sweet Spot”
The Best Societies
Ideally, we seek a society in which self-interest and regard for others converge—the green zone.
Some self-interestat expense of others
Not beneficialeither to
selfor others
HighAltruism
Low Egoism
LowAltruism
HighEgoism
Self-sacrificing
altruism
Self-interestat the expense
of others
Self-interestand regardfor othersconverge
Some self-sacrifice
Few lose-losesituations.
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Small Group Topics Discuss examples in your own profession
of ways to hit the moral “sweet spot.” What are some of the examples you have
seen of best practices in regard to moral imagination?
What are some of the laws & regulations in your profession that force you and your clients to choose between self and other, between altruism and self-interest.
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Conclusion
Visit us on the web at:
http://ethics.sandiego.edu
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Unused Slides
Stem cell research
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The Promise of Stem Cells
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The Danger of Stem Cells
Human embryonic stem cell research and therapy begin with human embryos, sometimes as early as the eight-cell stage.
Are these human beings at this stage? Are we killing human beings at this stage?
Day 3:Eight Cells
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