Ethical Reasoning
Ethical reasoning is a crucial aspect of decision-making to help individuals navigate complex moral issues: a systematic process of analyzing and evaluating situations and problems to determine whether our decisions are right or wrong, just or unjust. It involves understanding the moral principles and values that guide common human behavior–anything from “Should I walk instead of drive to the store?” to “What is entailed in one’s right to free speech?” Ethical reasoning helps us assess the impact of our potential actions on individuals and society: considering the perspectives of all parties involved, weighing the potential consequences of different courses of action, and making a decision based on one’s determined beliefs and values. Ethical reasoning is a crucial skill in both our professional and daily lives, as it helps individuals make decisions that are in line with their own standards to ultimately try and better society as a whole.
The resources below not only help you understand how to come to informed decisions on what is good or bad in any given situation, but to come to your own conclusions as to how you should mindfully and consistently live your own life.
ConnectED skills related to Ethical Reasoning: Ethical reasoning; Global and Cultural Responsiveness; Problem Solving
- A Framework for Ethical Decision Making (article) – The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
- A Framework for Ethical Decision Making (video) – The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
- Elements of Ethical Reasoning – Dr. Andrew Marx, VCU
- Making an Ethical Decision – The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
- Thinking about Ethics – Dr. Andrew Marx, VCU
- What is Ethics? – The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics