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When I’ve made a lot of decisions in the past, I made them based on the outcomes or consequences that would be associated with the failure of my plan. The reading this week opened my eyes to the actual mental thought process that is associated with my actual pattern of thinking. The reading states “consequentialists claim that we are all morally obligated to act in ways that produce the best consequences” (LaFollette, 2007). I wouldn’t say that I’ve always thought in terms of long term consequences but more in the “what do I do if this fails” mentality. I’m not sure those two are the same thought patterns but they’re close. I think of consequentialism as predicting the outcomes of larger scale decisions we make. Like the reading says, we don’t often think about the smaller ramifications of our actions. Consequentialist theory “must specify which consequences are morally relevant, how much weight we should give them; and how, precisely, we should use them in moral reasoning” (LaFollette, 2007). Personally, I feel like I don’t go through that entire process but it seems like it would be exhausting to do in every major thought/decision. I’m more free spirited in that I go with what feels correct. 

On the other hand there is Deontology. We all know by a young age, the things that our family and social setting deems appropriate. Deontology says we can “be confident that we know how we should act and how to morally evaluate ours and others actions” (LaFollette, 2007). I wonder how many times I think to myself, “doesn’t this person know how to act here?”. Sometimes I pair the two together. I want to project outcomes and consequences based on my knowledge of a situation. Deontology gives us an outline of the things we should not do and we are taught these things at a very young age. My initial thought is that a lot of people must base deontology to morally correct decision making which in turn, equates to sound ethical decision making. I would argue that both consequentialistm and deontology can lead to sound ethical choices. 

I personally feel that there isn’t one correct way to process information. I like to think in terms of outcomes and consequences if I fail. Some people like to make choices based on moral reasoning. I also think that in order to be totally successful, you have to use moral reasoning and consequential outcomes. As leaders, we should try to always do what is best for our long term success and the success of our business, even if that means trying new techniques or observing from another person’s point of view.

Reference

Lafollette, H. (2007). The Practice of Ethics. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.