Moral Reflection and Discretion

Ethics & Morality The author of this response is to be answering several questions as it relates to ethics and morality. There are three major questions that will be answered as part of this assignment. The first is to define and pontificate about what it means to engage in moral reflection. The second questions asks about moral conflicts that center on authority, interest and roles as it relates to moral and ethical dilemmas. Finally, the author of this report will apply Cooper's ethical decision-making model to ethical dilemmas in general.

While some ethical and moral questions are quite tough to answer and navigate, there is usually a path forward with such moral quandaries. The Cortland University website has a good definition and summary of ethical reflection. They generally define ethical reflection as a "means of helping students develop the cognitive side of character" (Cortland, 2015).

Further, they say that ethical reflection involves becoming more morally aware, having an understanding of virtues and how to apply them in specific situations, being able to look at a situation from another person's perspective and being able to reason morally to the extent that the person can make "thoughtful moral decisions" (Cortland, 2015).

As indicated and suggested by the assignment, an ethical decision can be hard to make based on a number of factors based on who has the authority in a situation, who has interests in the situation and the roles of the people involved. A person who has authority in a situation may or may not be making the right decision and the fact that the person is in the authority may be the factor that is clouding the issue.

Interests in a situation can also muddy the waters or influence people to take a certain stance on an issue. Finally, the roles that people play will influence what they feel about a moral dilemma and what they think should be done (LMU, 2015). When it comes to Cooper's model of ethical decision-making, he centered largely on that of the public interest and how people should act as administrators. When it comes to proper decision-making, Cooper was very macro-level in terms of how to address or even avoid ethical dilemmas.

He goes so far as to suggest that the system itself in which an ethical decision should be made should be defined in such a way so as to make the right choice the easy one to make. Indeed, he asks the question of how organizations can be designed to support ethical conduct. Cooper also points to some ethical "universals" including self-determination, freedom, stability, trust and honesty. Cooper's words were in response to what he noticed in the bureaucratic presences of the 1960's and 1970's.

He was quoted as saying that "the tendency of large bureaucratic organizations to stifle conscience and punish those who called attention to corruption and misconduct became painfully evident" (Cooper, 2012). In short, Cooper suggests that the system itself has to be conducive to ethical behavior or bad deeds will almost surely start to rise. Conclusion In the end, it is clear that.