2.Identify values that come into play.
What values do you feel should be protected?
What values are primary (and why)?
Recognize your personal values and how they may influence your ability to participate in decision making.

3.  Identify all the alternatives.

4.  Determine the outcomes of the alternatives.

5. List the alternatives and rate them according to various ethical approaches:

1. Character Ethics:  What is the agent's purpose(s) and is the act the right means to achieve the end?
2. Deontological Ethics: (Ethics of Principle)  Can you will the act's maxim as a universal moral law? Does the act treat others with respect?
3. Utilitarian Ethics: (Ethics of Consequence ) Who is affected and which act would produce the least harm or greatest good?
4. Egoism (What's best for me): Will this ultimately help or hurt me?
5. Kantianism: Does this respect everybody? Are everybody's rights fully respected and considered?

6.  Develop a plan of action that will facilitate the best choices.

Key Questions - for moral and ethical reasoning

• What is my intention -  the goal of my thinking? 
          (to do what's right, or what's right for me, or what's right in this situation?
• What are the circumstances?
• What knowledge is required?
• How much room is there for error?
• How much time do I have
• What resources can help  me?
• Whose perspectives must be considered?
• What is influencing my thinking?
• What values are involved that we can all agree on?

Markkula Center for Applied Ethics suggest we evaluate results from various moral perspectives:

• Which options will produce the most good and the least harm
• Which options respect the rights and dignity of everyone concerned - so that everyone is treated fairly
• Which options promote the common good - that of community, society, family...
• Which options promote the deepening and developing of virtues

This worksheet is a learning activity.  

As we move through this Ethical Reasoning Worksheet, we realize we can learn more, see issues more clearly, deepen our commitments, as well as be open to positive attributes of conflicting arguments.

Macelli states, "Ideas have consequence." Therefore, our increased knowledge and comprehension will increase the likelihood of our executing the right decision.

This worksheet is not a substitute for thinking, but should open up new areas of reflection. Worksheets "increase your conceptual basis for analysis and allow your conversations with others to move beyond exchanging opinions to exploring what's behind the opinion.... Most poor decisions are made, not because decision makers want to make poor decisions, but because they lack important resources"  (Brown, The Ethical Process 1).

What resources does Brown suggest to promote multi-faceted critical thinking?
 The Five Resources Worksheet:

1. Proposals
   • What should be done
     • We should provide free college tuition
2. Observations
   • Facts that support our proposal
     • (Because) people who can't afford education don't get it
3. Value Judgment
   • Connect the proposal and observations to beliefs about how we should live
     • When we are able to provide education, we should provide it for all
4. Assumptions
   • Cradle the entire argument in a worldview
     • Mankind is interdependent. Education increases the quality of life and is necessary to promote well-being and a good life for society.
5. Alternative Views
   • Make additional resources available
     • Some say we should not provide free  education because

Critical Thinking  Group Exercise:   Create your own Five Resources Worksheet

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Key Terms:  
Descriptive Analysis:   Looks at what is
Normative Analysis:   Looks at what should be

Great link for decision making from Markkula Center