The little book of big ethical questions

The little book of big ethical questions

Susan Liautaud

Book - 2022

"Often a single question can spark a meaningful, fun exchange-- like "Would you apply for a job you know your friend is applying for?" Or "Should voting be mandatory?" Or what about police using facial recognition technology? Questions like these spur us to consider: What would I have done? Is there one correct answer? And ultimately: How can ethics help us navigate these situations to find the best outcome for ourselves and others? An ethicist who advises leaders and organizations worldwide, Susan Liautaud asks intriguing questions that encourage lively discussion across a range of subjects, from family and friends to health and technology to politics, work, and consumer choices. She then walks through the wa...y you might approach each situation to find the best answer for you. Grab the book, gather a few friends, and dive in!"--back cover.

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Subjects
Ethical problems.
Applied ethics.
Trivia and miscellanea.
Genres
Trivia and miscellanea
Published
New York, NY : Simon & Schuster 2022.
Language
English
Main Author
Susan Liautaud (author)
Edition
First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition
Physical Description
xv, 315 pages ; 18 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 285-315).
ISBN
9781982132224
9781471188633
  • Introduction: Ethics for Everyone
  • Chapter 1. Family and Friends
  • Could you be friends with someone whose political views differ from your own?
  • Should you take away the car keys from an elderly parent whose driving may be unsafe?
  • Are you ethically obligated to help a neighbor?
  • Are you ethically bound to pay for your uninsured sibling's medical care for a serious illness or accident?
  • Should you read your child's or teenager's diary or journal?
  • Would you give someone, who has wronged you several times another chance?
  • Are you obligated to give all your children equal shares of your estate?
  • Would you use direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits?
  • Would you tell your friend information about their fiancé you think they should know before getting married?
  • What are the differences between a white lie and a serious ethical transgression?
  • Would you violate your teenager's confidence if not doing so might lead to harm?
  • Would you call the police on a friend you fear might drive under the influence of alcohol?
  • Would you pay, or allow teachers to pay, your children to study or read books?
  • Would you tell-or want to be told- about an affair?
  • Would you return the extra change?
  • Chapter 2. Politics, Community, and Culture
  • Should we prosecute someone who steals food during a crisis?
  • Do we have a responsibility to speak up if we're in a conversation where racist comments are made?
  • Should voting be mandatory?
  • Should we give money directly to those who are experiencing homelessness?
  • What are the key ethical considerations behind museums returning artifacts to the countries of origin?
  • How should we engage with the works of artists, writers, producers, and actors who commit sexual misconduct?
  • Should there be age limits for U.S. presidential candidates?
  • Should political candidates and initiatives be allowed to accept donations and support from outside the districts, cities, and states in which they're on the ballot?
  • Should college basketball athletes be paid?
  • Should we remove books from bookstores, libraries, internet sales, and reading lists because they are no longer seen as politically correct or culturally acceptable?
  • Is it ethically acceptable to alter your date of birth so that you appear younger (or older) than you are?
  • Should athletes be penalized for using legal marijuana?
  • Is voting-or deciding not to vote-an ethics choice?
  • Chapter 3. Work
  • What is appropriate behavior in a "business social" setting?
  • Should your employer have a say in what you post on your private social media?
  • What would you do when others take credit for your work?
  • How would you respond if you witnessed a boss sexually harassing or bullying a more junior colleague?
  • Should CEOs speak out about important social and political issues of the day?
  • Would you hire someone who has made a mistake and is looking for a second chance?
  • Are we responsible for acting on information obtained without permission?
  • Would you apply for a job that your friend is also applying for?
  • What are the ethical considerations of blind hiring?
  • Should employers be permitted to consult candidates' social media accounts as part of the recruiting process?
  • Are you obligated to report colleagues having a relationship?
  • Do I need to take unconscious bias training every year?
  • Chapter 4. Technology
  • Should social media companies shut down accounts of the president of the United States and other political leaders if they incite violence?
  • Would you use the free Spotify service if you knew that artists are penalized financially?
  • Should social media companies be required to offer users the option to pay a fee to avoid receiving targeted advertising?
  • Would you agree to let your elderly loved one be cared for by a robot?
  • Should police departments be allowed to use facial recognition technology?
  • How do we handle the ethics of a deceased loved one's social media accounts?
  • Would you consider using a bot therapist or recommending one for a family member or friend?
  • Do you have an obligation to inform guests that you have a digital assistant on in your home when they visit?
  • Would you use the Robinhood trading app?
  • Should Apple be required to unlock encrypted iPhones at the request of the FBI in an investigation of a terrorist act?
  • Should robots have rights?
  • Chapter 5. Consumer Choices
  • Should we buy fast fashion?
  • Would you continue to support a nonprofit humanitarian organization that pays an illegal bribe to assure delivery of lifesaving medical treatments?
  • Is purchasing organic food and products a more ethical choice?
  • What are the steps to recovery from an ethics mishap?
  • Are there ethical reasons that would persuade you to consider becoming a vegan?
  • Would you fly on a Boeing 737 Max plane?
  • Should you stop donating to a nonprofit organization if you find out about a sexual misconduct scandal?
  • Should we buy clothing from companies that don't treat the people who work for them properly?
  • Should tax preparation for individual tax returns be free?
  • Should I switch my giving in response to Covid-19 or other emergencies?
  • Does buying (or not buying) a disposable plastic bottle of water really make a difference?
  • Chapter 6. Health
  • Should organ donation be opt-in or opt-out, from an ethical perspective?
  • Are you ethically obligated to tell your children if you have an inheritable disease?
  • What are the ethical considerations behind informed consent?
  • Would you tell someone who is suffering from dementia when a close relative has died?
  • Would you be in favor of editing the genes of human embryos?
  • What is our ethical responsibility to get vaccinated?
  • Would you want artificial intelligence to contribute to diagnosing your medical condition?
  • Should vaping be banned?
  • How do you decide if you should donate a kidney to a close friend or relative?
  • Conclusion: We Can All Do Ethics
  • The Six Forces Driving Ethics
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
Review by Booklist Review

Everyday ethics involves constant decisions. Ethics adviser Liautaud poses more than 70 questions organized by topic, including family and friends, politics, work, technology, consumer choices, and health. Each is followed by an "exploration" section in which she examines potential actions from the viewpoint of those involved in the outcome. Is it your story to tell? How will your actions affect those involved? What if it were you? Some of the situations are easy: Should you return too much change to a cashier? Most are more difficult: Should you always speak up against racism? Are you obliged to donate to a homeless man? Should the country mandate voting? Do robots have rights? There is much here to prompt thought and debate. These aren't "yes" and "no" questions, and Liautaud doesn't pretend to have all the answers. What she does do is offer objective ways to look at the dilemmas and the results of our actions. The author reminds us that even the smallest ethical choices are important and that ethics and their absence are contagious. This is sure to spark discussion.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

"My goal in this book is to democratize ethics: to make ethics accessible to people from all backgrounds and all walks of life," writes ethics consultant Liautaud (The Power of Ethics) in her straightforward compendium. The author tackles 71 ethical questions--ranging from "Should you read your child's or teenager's diary or journal?" to "Should robots have rights?"--touching on such topics as family and friends; politics, community, and culture; work; technology; consumer choices; and health. Liautaud gives background for each question and makes the case for opposing viewpoints while refraining from prescribing conclusions. For example, the author asks, "Should we prosecute someone who steals food during a crisis?" and contextualizes the issue by discussing people driven to take food in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina while noting that stealing can hurt those who didn't contribute to the crisis and may themselves be in dire straits. She also poses the question, "Is purchasing organic food and products a more ethical choice?" and observes that while buying organic is more sustainable, it's also more expensive, and many can't afford the cost. Liautaud is admirably agnostic, preferring to show how quandaries can be as helpful as definitive answers. This is a perceptive look at how to better approach thinking about and discussing contemporary dilemmas, whether quotidian or consequential. (Apr.)

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