Foundation

    Core values are foundational to ethical choice. If my core values are “bad” yet I act within the constraints of those core value I am acting ethically, at least to myself. Every discussion of ethics carries the implication of “doing the most good.” Ethics mean nothing if not based upon an agreed definition of “good.” Can we “…rationally agree on a standard of measurement and also agree on how to apply that standard...?” (Hoppe, 2018)

    But this is an example of an inverted moral compass. As humans we set and follow our own individual standards or core values. What happens when we must choose between what is required of us and what our values are. Especially when it comes to “morally gray” areas.

      I frequently run into the problem of bad maintenance instructions. While the card must always be followed, there are ways to work around it. First, I must ensure that I have read the instruction correctly. Second, I should ask for help in interpretation or if someone has had prior experience. These two resources exhausted I will eventually have to decide whether to continue while using best maintenance practices, that is, doing a safe and effective job but not precisely following the card, or stop and risk possible negative consequences of not finishing a task.

     I do work in an environment where stopping and reassessing, or stopping altogether, in the name of safety do not carry negative consequences. But that does not stop the conflict inside of me where my desire to finish a project well opposes my desire to be safe. One of those must win out. And the winner is what my true core values are.

 

Hoppe, E. A. (Ed.). (2018). Ethical issues in aviation. ProQuest Ebook Central                

https://tinyurl.com/y27fwpat P. 5