A virtue ethical account of making decisions about risk

Abstract

Most discussions of risk are developed in broadly consequentialist terms, focusing on the outcomes of risks as such. This paper will provide an alternative account of risk from a virtue ethical perspective, shifting the focus on the decision to take the risk. Making ethical decisions about risk is, we will argue, not fundamentally about the actual chain of events that the decision sets in process, but about the reasonableness of the decision to take the risk in the first place. A virtue ethical account of risk is needed because the notion of the 'reasonableness' of the decision to take the risk is affected by the complexity of the moral status of particular instances of risk-taking and the risk-taker's responsiveness to these contextual features. The very idea of 'reasonable risk' welcomes judgements about the nature of the risk itself, raises questions about complicity, culpability and responsibility, while at its heart, involves a judgement about the justification of risk which unavoidably focuses our attention on the character of the individuals involved in risk-making decisions.

Espiritualidade, Convicção Moral E Quebra De Regras Pró-Sociais Na Área Da Saúde

“…We used the utilitarian theory of moral action to predict this study's hypotheses. Utilitarian theory explains that socially motivated persons are risk takers who intend to help others by breaking rules in specific conditions (Athanassoulis & Ross, 2010). The significant and positive relationship we found between WPS and healthcare professionals' PSRB supported this perspective.…”

“…Godwin, Neck, and D'Intino (2016) propose that spiritual entrepreneurs perceive external business stressors as challenges rather than obstacles. Utilitarian theory suggests socially motivated persons are risk takers who intend to help others by breaking rules in specific conditions (Athanassoulis & Ross, 2010). Based on utilitarian theory, we argued that employees' WPS increased their likelihood of engaging in PSRB.…”

“…Utilitarian theory suggests socially motivated persons are risk takers who intend to help others by breaking rules under specific conditions (Athanassoulis & Ross, 2010). Employees with high WPS are socially motivated people who are generally unafraid of risk-taking to deviate from organizational rules to increase organizational productivity and efficiency (Duchon & Plowman, 2005;Morrison, 2006).…”

The Ethical Foundations of Risk Analysis

“…In theory, a virtuous risk analyst would be able to provide a contextually deep assessment that considers the rich interplay of factors and moral nuances overlooked by consequentialists or deontologists. While virtue ethics in risk assessment has its modern proponents, it is perhaps the least practical framework because ethical criteria under conditions of uncertainty are essentially left to the moral wisdom of the decisionmaker. This is a rather unworkable solution in the modern era because it becomes necessary to know and assess the character of the individuals behind risk assessments and risk management decisions.…”

The Semantic Distinction Between “Risk” and “Danger”: A Linguistic Analysis

“…The idea that there are conceptual/semantic connections between risk, agency, and decisions is not unique to Luhmann, but has been suggested elsewhere in risk research, although perhaps not as explicitly. ( 7 , 16‐21 )…”