What Are You Trying to Accomplish?

The phrase “being intentional” is used loosely today. Every day it seems I hear another person use the phrase to make a point about how such an approach to doing something is a good thing. Being intentional about anything in life means to focus your attention on building an environment that enables you to reach a goal through your behavior including how you treat others—with  dignity, respect, compassion and kindness.

Begin With the End in Mind

Being intentional means to talk/act in a way where the end goal is known, and actions are taken to pursue it. It means to pursue a goal with clear-mindedness and dedication to the task. Being intentional about teaching ethics means to actively and deliberately incorporate ethical considerations in deciding what to teach and how to do it. It means to create a classroom environment that encourages critical thinking about moral dilemmas, discussing real-life scenarios, and actively modeling ethical behavior, with the goal of developing students’ ethical decision-making skills and moral awareness.

The first thing I do before teaching ethics is to ask: What is my goal? I learned long ago that it shouldn’t be to make students ethical. It’s up to them to take the lessons learned and turn it into ethical behavior. Instead, I try to sensitize students to the ethical challenges they may face in life or the workplace.

To “begin with the end in mind” is the second of the seven habits that New York Times bestselling author Dr. Stephen R. Covey addresses in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. By beginning with the end in mind, you can train yourself to become more goal-oriented and create a clear vision for yourself or your team.

Using Decision Making Models

I like to use decision-making models to teach ethics. It provides a framework students can relate to. I went online to see what would come up by using: What is an ethical decision-making model according to the ethics sage. I actually got two different responses from Google/AI.

-----":According to Ethics Sage, a robust ethical decision-making model involves identifying the ethical issues, understanding the stakeholders and their interests, considering the potential benefits and harms of each course of action, evaluating the situation through different ethical frameworks like utilitarianism, rights-based ethics, and justice, and ultimately choosing the option that aligns best with ethical principles and minimizes negative consequences for all involved parties." 

------"According to the Ethics Sage, an ethical decision-making model is a structured process that involves identifying an ethical dilemma, gathering relevant information, considering different alternatives, evaluating the potential consequences of each option, and ultimately choosing the most ethical course of action, all while adhering to ethical principles and considering the impact on stakeholders."

I couldn’t have said it any better. Each description has value. Kudos to AI.

Values and Virtues

I will add, however, that if you are being intentional about teaching ethics don’t forget to discuss the values that make for an ethical person. The ancient Greeks called them virtues—characteristic forms of behavior that can bring happiness and greater meaning in life. It is the way we should treat others and wish they would treat us. I’ve already mentioned some virtues and would add responsibility, accountability, and integrity above all else.

In many aspects of life today I find one virtue missing. It is diligence, or simply put a lack of a strong work ethic. It seems to me that all too many of us seek the easy way to do things without realizing sometimes it takes fortitude, a cardinal virtue identified by Plato. I worry whether we can remain competitive with countries like China where, I have found from my teaching experiences, students work very hard to get the highest grade they can. I worry whether we can remain technologically advanced to meet the challenges of the future. I even worry whether we would be able to attract the younger generation into service should we wind up in a conflict or worse, a war.

Using Quotes to Foster One's Intention

I like to use quotes in teaching ethics because it can leave a lasting impression on students. Students find them easier to remember than the ethical behavior rules of the game. Here are a few of my favorites.

Ethics is about what we do when no one is watching (American author Aldo Leopold).

There is a difference between what we have the right to do and what is right to do is (former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart).

Day by day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is who you become (Greek philosopher Heraclitus).

Even the most rational approach to ethics is defenseless if there isn't the will to do what is right (Russian Novelist and Nobel Prize Winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn).

We make choices in everyday life that reflect our true character. Our choices say a lot about who we are and what we do. Since a worthwhile goal in life is to achieve happiness and lead a purpose-driven life, our choices should be ones that guide us in that direction. Through practice making ethical decisions, students can sharpen their ethical sensibilities, strengthen their ethical reasoning skills, commit to acting ethically, and be an ethical person.

If we can incorporate the ideas I put forth in this blog in our teaching, then we are doing so intentionally—with a purpose in mind.

Posted by Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on November 27, 2024. You can sign up for his newsletter and learn more about his activities at: https://www.stevenmintzethics.com/.