APPENDIX A
The Elements of Ethical Thinking
How the Decision Flows
FOR A GRAPHICAL SUMMARY of the key distinctions enabling skillful ethical thinking, see figure A-1. Note how the distinctions work together. Do not use the figure to guide individual decisions. Instead, use it to guide the flow of your logic, depending on a decisionâs characteristics. These distinctions, unique to ethical reasoning, appear over and over in this book.
The figure hints at the consequences of confusing the dimensions of a decision. Consider the common mistake, mentioned in chapter 2, of putting prudential actions in the ethical bucket. If we do so, we mistakenly go through a long decision-making process (top to bottom on the chart) instead of a short one (left ...
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