Welcome

 

photoqatarHi.  I’m John Hooker, a professor of business ethics at Carnegie Mellon University.  I created this blog to provide a forum for analyzing ethical dilemmas in a rational way.

I analyze each dilemma, based on the principles described under How to analyze.  You may need to look at these to understand what I am talking about.  You can also contribute to the discussion.

  • Recently posted dilemmas appear below.  To view all the dilemmas by category, click the topics on the left.
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“Soft” vaccine requirement

Some U.S. employers are imposing a “soft” vaccine requirement for Covid-19. They allow employees who refuse refuse vaccine to opt for regular testing, working from home, etc. Is this type of requirement ethical?

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Requiring Covid-19 vaccination

Should a U.S. school or workplace require Covid-19 vaccination?

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Hobby Lobby mask mandate

I am requesting that you stop the illegal mask mandates for your employees, now. If they are forced to wear the unhealthy, unconstitutional masks with the threat of losing their jobs if they don’t this is wrong and you should know that. Please go to http://www.americasfrontlinedoctors.com , click on the legal tab and see the letter that is composed for adults, who DO NOT have to comply with the illegal mandates. Protect your employees from Big Government overreach.

Originally posted today by Mary K Fowler as a comment on another Hobby Lobby issue.

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Refusing Coronavirus vaccine

It is reported that half of Americans will refuse to be vaccinated for Covid-19. Is this ethical?

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Human challenge trials

Over 30,000 persons in 140 countries have volunteered for human challenge trials of Covid-19 vaccines, according to the organization 1Day Sooner.  They are willing to be deliberately infected with the Coronavirus after receiving a dose of an experimental vaccine—or a placebo!  Human challenge trials could shave weeks or months off the development time for a vaccine, when reducing it by even one day could save thousands of lives.  Yet, are such trials ethical?

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Masks and freedom

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of states and cities require customers who enter a store to wear a mask. Yet there is resistance.  Some view these rules as an attack on their freedom and may even assault store employees in response.   When a Target security guard in Michigan asked a family to wear masks, one of the family members shot him dead.  The mayor of an Oklahoma city had to rescind a mask-wearing order one day after it was enacted due to threats against store proprietors.   There are many other incidents like this.

While we can agree that assaulting employees is wrong, do the resisters have a point?  They see mask rules as just one example of government oppression that freedom-loving people must resist.  One letter to a Pennsylvania newspaper refers to mask-wearers as submissive “sheep,” a sentiment that many share, particularly in conservative regions of the country.  Are they right?

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Warning labels on tweets

Twitter recently posted warning labels on some high-profile tweets, on the ground that they incite violence or spread harmful misinformation.  Is this ethical?  Is it obligatory?

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When to reopen the economy?

People are saying that we are “past the peak” with Covid-19.  Given this, when is the right time to reopen the economy?

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Allocating scarce medical resources

The Covid-19 pandemic is forcing us to look again at the ancient dilemma of triage.  Which patients should get priority when there is a shortage of medical equipment and personnel?

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Is home stay an ethical obligation?

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, sheltering at home when possible is a government mandate in some areas, and voluntary in others.  If it is voluntary, is there nonetheless an ethical obligation to remain at home when possible?

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