Ethical decisions in practice and theory

¶ … Ethical Decision Making

In general, there are three major ethical approaches to decision-making: that of consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Ethical dilemmas arise when there is a conflict of values or when it is impossible to satisfy all of the needs of stakeholders. A good example of this relates to food insecurity and the growing crisis of malnutrition and obesity amongst the poorest inhabitants of America. Some have advocated limiting the types of foods that can be bought with EBT (electronic benefits transfer) cards to healthy and nutritious foods -- for example, banning buying soda and candy with this supported nutrition program. Others have argued that it is wrong to limit a person's choice of foods simply because he or she is poor, while a wealthier person does not have to suffer such dehumanizing scrutiny of their eating habits.

From a consequentialist standpoint, the consequences of an ethical decision are what matter. Viewed from this perspective, if people eat less junk food the consequences are that they are likely to be healthier. The most famous form of consequentialism is that of utilitarianism, which stresses that the greatest good for the greatest number of people should be the objective of all ethical actions: if more people are healthy and are spending their grocery money on healthier foods, violating the principle of free choice is not an issue. True, some people may not benefit from the ban such as the owners of stores that sell soda and the soda manufacturers themselves but in general the good consequences outweigh the negative ones (Chaussee 2013).

From the perspective of deontology, however, there are certain principles which cannot be violated. For a deontologist, consequences are unpredictable. Thus, adhering to good rules to ensure good ethics is important. For example, even if people cannot purchase soda, candy, or chips with their EBT that does not necessarily mean that they will eat more healthfully. They might still overeat, engage in other unhealthy behaviors, or try to 'cheat' and find a way around the restriction. Regardless, the principle of free choice would be considered more important. Deontological ethics "judges morality by examining the nature of actions and the will of agents rather than goals achieved" (Kay 2014). A deontological perspective might also suggest that there is a subtext of negative judgment or paternalism in banning certain foods, the suggestion being that the poor do not know how to properly budget or feed themselves.