OB 354
Ethical Dilemma Case
October 11, 2017
Mitchell Valla
1. What are the facts in the case?
• John is a very accomplished seismologist who reports to the director of the research facility he works at
• John has spent years developing a method for predicting major earthquakes that will hit the West Coast
• The facility John works for is funded by government money and corporate interests
• John has developed a technique that he believes is 80 percent accurate in predicting an earthquake occurrence within 48 hours
• John’s study suggests a 7.3 magnitude earthquake will hit Southern California in one of four fault lines in the next 48 hours
• An earthquake at three of the four fault lines would result in insignificant …show more content…
This decision-making approach is Categorical Imperative, which is “the basic form of the moral law” (“Categorical Imperative”, 2017) and follows this universal moral law regardless of the situation (D. L. Smrt, Ethics, September 25, 2017). In releasing the information to the media, John is unconditionally doing what is morally right by attempting to save lives, where saving lives would be considered moral law.
5. Selection and explain the option that you prefer:
I would select action alternative b, as it follows the Utilitarianism decision-making approach. I believe that weighing the costs and benefits of all potential outcomes from both choosing to release the information and choosing to keep quiet is the most logical way to go. Using this approach, a consensus is reached on what decision results in the most good, and in a high-stakes scenario like this with so much uncertainty, I feel that potentially creating the most good is the best outcome one could possibly expect. Not everyone/everything can be pleased, but most is better than
Ethical Dilemma Case
October 11, 2017
Mitchell Valla
1. What are the facts in the case?
• John is a very accomplished seismologist who reports to the director of the research facility he works at
• John has spent years developing a method for predicting major earthquakes that will hit the West Coast
• The facility John works for is funded by government money and corporate interests
• John has developed a technique that he believes is 80 percent accurate in predicting an earthquake occurrence within 48 hours
• John’s study suggests a 7.3 magnitude earthquake will hit Southern California in one of four fault lines in the next 48 hours
• An earthquake at three of the four fault lines would result in insignificant …show more content…
This decision-making approach is Categorical Imperative, which is “the basic form of the moral law” (“Categorical Imperative”, 2017) and follows this universal moral law regardless of the situation (D. L. Smrt, Ethics, September 25, 2017). In releasing the information to the media, John is unconditionally doing what is morally right by attempting to save lives, where saving lives would be considered moral law.
5. Selection and explain the option that you prefer:
I would select action alternative b, as it follows the Utilitarianism decision-making approach. I believe that weighing the costs and benefits of all potential outcomes from both choosing to release the information and choosing to keep quiet is the most logical way to go. Using this approach, a consensus is reached on what decision results in the most good, and in a high-stakes scenario like this with so much uncertainty, I feel that potentially creating the most good is the best outcome one could possibly expect. Not everyone/everything can be pleased, but most is better than