Ethical Lens Inventory There Is Probably Nobody

Ethical Lens Inventory

There is probably nobody who goes through life without, at some point, being faced with an ethical dilemma. These are situations where either projected outcome might be equally undesirable, or where there are no clear rules to indicate the appropriate course of action. In these situations, it is helpful to first determine one's own ethical values and viewpoints. These can then be used to come to a decision that is least detrimental to one's own sense of fairness and justice. The ethical lens inventory is one tool that can be used to determine the specific nature of one's own sense of ethical fairness and justice (Ethics Game, 2009).

The ethical lens inventory includes four ethical lenses that might be used to determine one's own sense of values and ethics (Ethics Game, 2007). The most important element to recognize here is that ethics is not uniform, static, or homogeneous for all situations. More often than not, one's ethics changes format and form as one moves between the individual, social, and professional spheres. For each sphere, a specific set of ethics would apply.

Specifically, my own ethical lens inventory has revealed that my preferred ethical lens is none. This means that I have a relatively neutral attitude towards ethics in general. My blind spot is also none. I therefore tend to consider each viewpoint with as much care as possible. One major strength that I have is being open-minded towards people and situations. Before I make judgments, I prefer to take all possible viewpoints and courses of action into consideration. I am also a good listener and do my best to engage in active listening, especially in professional situations, but also in my personal relationships. One of my weaknesses, related to this strength, is that I tend to take what I am told at face value without making any deeper investigations or attempting to shed some critical light on it. This could influence my ethical decision making in terms of arriving at a conclusion that is less than optimal as a result of non-critical thinking. Critical thinking is something that I need to cultivate.

My values and resultant behaviors tend to focus on autonomy and equality. Autonomy refers to a focus on the right of the individual to make his or her own decisions and to maintain control of his or her own life. When I attempt to make ethical decisions, therefore, one of my main concerns is how the various options will affect individuals and their right to maintain autonomy within their lives. My sense of equality serves as a mitigating factor for this. Rather than focusing on only one individual and his or her right to retain autonomy, this autonomy should also not interfere with the rights of others to the same autonomy. I therefore try to maintain a balance between what I feel is right for an individual and how I believe that this will promote equality among all the individuals involved.