Ethics Under Attack
Ethics are unpopular, perceived as rigid and frequently stupid rules applied by theorists who know nothing of reality. There are good reasons for this.
Meanwhile, actual ethics are about practice, aspiration, and social norms. They affect behavior because, through repetition, they establish habits. It’s work, but positive results follow.
This issue will dig into why people dislike “ethics,” who benefits from fractured social norms, and how and why to build ethical habits anyway.
Why People Are Annoyed
In business, ethics = compliance – mandatory, soul-sucking “trainings” to protect companies from liability. This horrible exercise is not about ethics; it’s about going over the company rule book.
Separately, academic ethicists can be blind to the realities of competition and survival. They get uninvited to meetings because they block decisive action with too much talk, criticism, and anxiety.
Furthermore, ethics do NOT seem fun. More painfully slow and dull, with no risk and no rewards – all while distracting from the work at hand. Missing the moment while lost in thought.
Heard At the Cooler – Ethics Are:
- Elitist: People who talk about ethics are know-it-alls who spout what’s right for everyone. “I don’t need some college smart ass coming in here and telling me how to do my job.”
- For rich people. Desperate folks will do whatever is necessary; talking about such ideas just causes trouble
- A sinkhole: “Money talks and bullshit walks”
- Theoretical, not practical – for Sundays, not Mondays
- Hopeless – they only work if everyone does it
- Wishful thinking, Pie in the sky… “From 30000 feet you can’t see anything clearly”
- Ignorant of the fact that life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
Ethical Relativism
These criticisms are valid to a point, but they miss the big picture. Ethics are systems within communities that allow them to get along. They are needed because they are part of the fabric of norms and cultural values.
While it may seem that each system of ethics is relative to all others, they all include, at least, requirements for food, water, and shelter. Moreover, they must be sustainable – they have to “work.”
Case: Fractured Norms Are Profitable
Online algorithms make money by amplifying outrage, fear, and division.
An automated, profit-generating loop emerges: Outrage gets Eyeballs which get Ad revenue through Algorithmic targeting which Reinforces extreme views, leading to escalating Outrage (repeat).
People are never at their best when triggered, but in that state they are easily manipulated by algorithms. Then they buy things. Ethics, norms, values, and culture become “collateral damage.”
To take action, Australia just banned anyone under 16 from social media.
Practical Strategies:
Here are some normative alternatives to social media:
- Honesty – build trust
- Honor Commitments – demonstrate dependability
- Take Responsibility for Mistakes – “I’m sorry…”
- Treat Everyone with Respect – Everyone
- Listen Before Speaking – speak from common understanding
- Practice Fairness – as much as possible
- Maintain Healthy Boundaries – out of respect for yourself and others
- Seek Continuous Self-Improvement – learn, grow, create
- Show Gratitude – generally, specifically, and when no one’s looking
- Act with Courage When It Matters
In Sum
Ethics are often perceived negatively, for good reason. The term is often used as a bludgeon, and powerful actors can benefit from bending its meaning.
However, ethics are critical to social and personal well-being.
Solid ethics, properly connected to norms and social contracts lead to predictable, prosocial behaviors and policies. For example, reliability promotes trust, cooperation, and respect, which in turn creates a reputation for integrity.
Ethical strategies lead to long-term advantages: stronger relationships, better problem-solving, reduced conflict, and increased wellbeing. Since people gravitate toward those they trust in both personal and professional life, ethical habits reliably produce better outcomes for individuals, teams, and communities.
Read More
- Is social media shifting social norms to more extreme levels? By Nicole Shearer at the University of Nevada
- Social Media Algorithms Warp How People Learn from Each Other by William Brady in Scientific American
- How Ethics in Business Drive Success from Seattle University