Classic Case: 105Billy Budd

by Herman Melville

Reflect - Focus: 116Quot~ from Robert Coles

. Reading: 117"Universal Human Values: Finding an Ethical Common Ground~'

.' by Rushworth M. Kidder

Reading: 122U Satyagraha"

by Mohandas K. GancJhi

,. ,. . . Reading: 126"ALeader h,CisHighEthics: Buirding Trust with Your Followers" ,

, " - by Sheila Murray ~ethel

Reading: 139!~A F,ramework for Thinking Ethically"

by Manuel Velasquez, Dennis[v' 0berg. Michael J. Meyer, ThorriasShahks,Margaret R. McL~'an;David DeCosse.9aire Andre, and Kirk O.Hanson

0· "-.Film Study: 142,'

Miss Evers' Boys

.... .. Exercise: 143Whom to Choose: Values and,Grpup Decision Making.

Suggested Reading 145

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Ethics, the principles or srnndards of humanconduct, are often defined as simply "actions basedon a concept of what is right" However, what maybe ethical - the right action - in one situation orculture may be deemed unetL~cal in another. Thequestion of an action's ethical basis is much largerthan simply determining if it is legal or not, and thisUnit will provide you with readings that give examplesof such dilemmas and explore the complexity ofethical decision making. Pcrhaps the most difficulttask for any leader is deciding on a course of actionwhen the ethical choices are many. Excerpts fromHerman Mdville's novella, BiJ!y Budd, provide theClassic Case for this Unit. Melville presents a situationin which the leader faces a life-and-death decisionwith contradictory choices that are both ethicalfrom diffcrent perspectives with different priorities.Although the young sailor, Billy Budd, is frequentlythought of as the most important character in thestory, it is instructive to look instead at Captain Vereto witness the difficulty leaders have in determiningthe ethical course of action. The Leadership Profilelooks at ethics from the perspective of a very differenttime and place with excerpts from The Ana/eds ifConfucius, providing an opportunity to consider howmuch srnndards of human conduct change with timeand place and whether or not there are any universalethical principles.

Family, peers, moral values, and life experiencesall have an impact on an individual's application ofethics. All these influences add up to the ethicalposition an individual takes through many acts eachday. It is important to keep in mind that ethicalstandards are determined by individuals, not byorganizations, so much of what the leader does affectsthe ethical environment. As Sheila Murray Bethelpoints out in a reading for tIus unit, etlucs are "Highstandards of honest and honorable dealings based onour morals." She goes on to say that "Ethics are aset of basic working tenets for life and business," andthe leader has great influence on these working tenetsin an entire organization. A compelling explorationof the difficult road that leaders must take'if tl1eyare to maintain high ethical srnndards is presentedin the reading from Mohandas Gandlu. Anotherreading describes the conclusions Rushworth Kidderdrew after interviewing "ethical thought leaders"

around the world seeking to distill a list of universalhuman values. The final reading for the Unit offersa framework for ethical decision making. Such aframework can offer guidance for our decisions whenwe are confronted with difficult ethical dilemmas asNurse Evers is in tl1e Film Study for tl1e Unit, MissEvers' Bq)'s (1997). Nurse Evers must decide hercourse of action in a situation in wluch none of heroptions seems truly the right tlUng to do.

We often make unconscious "value" decisions.However, leaders need to articulate their ethicalpriorities and must tl1erefore be aware of the valueson which they base their actions. The exercise for thisUnit, ''Whom to Choose: Values and Group DecisionMaking," is designed to help us clarify the values andmorals on which we base decisions for etlucal actionsand tl1en learn to work in a group where individualsmay have competing ethical priorities. The exerciseprovides an opportunity to examine the nature ofattitude and value acquisition and to assess the degreeto which members of a group have common valuesand the impact this has on the group's action.

Learning Objectives

~ Recognize the impact ethical behavior hason effective leadership

~ Exan1.ine the nature of attitude and valueacquisition and the influence they. haveon ethical decisions

~ Understand tl1e origin of organizationalethics and the influence they exert uponthe li;res of people in the orgaluzation

l> Appreciate the contributions luade by theClassic Case and Leadership Profile in thisUnit toward understanding ethical leadership

Billy BuddBy Herman Melville (1819 - 1891)American Novelist

Herman Melville was born in New York City, .the son of a merchant and importer. Melvillehad barely entered adolescence when. his fatherwent bankrupt and later died. Consequently, hewas forced to abandon his schooling at AlbanyAcademy and spent much of his youth living thelife of a transient worker to support his family.Melville worked a number (>f jobs, including bankclerk, teacher, farmhand, salesman. bowling alleyassistant, and surveyor before he joined the crewof the ship Acushmet as a whaleman at the ageof twenty-two. He eventually deserted the shipand lived for a brief period in the MarquesasIslands among the natives who were cannibals.In 1843, Melville enlisted in the u.s. Navy. Afterhis discharge in 1844 he began to drnw upon hisexperiences to create novels. Melville's first novelsquickly gained popularity. Howevcr, what wouldbecome his greatest novel, Mory Dick (1851),: wasnot a financial success. Reviewers widdy criticizedit because of its complex form and style thatcompletely baffled them. Shortly before his deathin 1891, Melville completed the novena Bilfy Budd, asymbolic tragedy of Melville's views on the collisionof good and evil which occurs aboard the Britishnaval ship Bellipotent in 1797. Bilfy Budd was notpublished until 1924, over a quarter of a centuryafter Melville's death.

The story was inspired by an actual incidentthat occurred in the U.S. Navy. On December 1,1842, three sailors were hanged at sea aboard theUSS Somers for mutiny after a plot to seize the ship,murder the captain, and use the sillp for piracywas exposed. The officer who informed the ship'scaptain of the plot was related to :Melville. Thethree sailors, tried in a drumhead court presided

over by the informant, were sentenced to hang atthe urging of the ship's captain. The mutineerswere buried at sea and twelve others were arrestedas conspirators. The actions of both the ship'scaptain and the informant were questioned. In thepublic dispute that followed tlle incident, Melvillesided with tlle families of the sailors who werehanged. Eventually, the captain and the informerwere exonerated by a naval court and the twelveconspirators were quietly released.

In BillY Budd, Billy is a supremely good,innocent, kind sailor aboard Bellipotent, despite thefact that he had been impressed (removed froma merchant ship and forced into military service)in the British Navy. Claggart, the evil master-at-arms aboard Bellipotent, cruelly antagonizes Billy.\'Vhen Claggart falsely accuses Billy of conspiracyto mutiny, Billy becomes speechless with rage andstrikes Claggart, who falls hard enough to producea fatal head injury. In the Naval Code, striking asuperior officer requires the death penalty. Thematter is complicated, however, because CaptainVere has great affection for Billy as do all theofficers and sailors aboard Bellipotent,and it is furthercomplicated by recent mutinies aboard other Britishwar ships (the Nore is mentioned in this excerpt)and a new Mutiny Act designed to prevent furthermutinies. The following excerpts from BillY Budddetail the deliberations of the drumhead court thatCaptain Vere summons to issue a verdict in thematter.

$> Why does Captain Vere choose the course touphold justice according to the British Naval

Rules rather thaIl choosing the course ofmercy for Billy Budd?

!.' What is the ethical basis for Captain Vere'sdecision to execute Billy Budd?

Was it et..lUcalfor Captain Vere to intercedeand persuade the drumhead court to changeits verdict?

Would it have been favoritism for CaptainVere to pardon Billy Budd?

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Chapter 19 (end)When the surgeon entered - a self-poised

character of that grave sense and experience thathardly anything could take him aback - CaptainVere advanced to meet him, thus unconsciouslyintercepting his view of Claggart, and, interruptingthe other's wonted ceremonious salutation, said,"N ay. Tell me how it is with yonder man," directinghis attention to dle prostrate one.

The surgeon looked, and for all his self-command somewhat started at the abrupt revelation.On Claggart's always pallid complexion, duck blackblood was now oozing from nostril and ear. Tothe gazer's professional eye it was unnlistakably noliving man dlat he saw: ...

Chapter 20Full of disquietude and misgiving, the surgeon

left dle cabin. Was Captain Vere suddenly affectedin Ius nlind, or was it but a transient excitement,brought about by so strange and extraordinarya tragedy? As to dle drumhead court, it struckthe surgeon as impolitic, if nothing more. Thething to do, he thought, was to place Billy Buddin confinement, in a way dictated by usage, andpostpone furdler action in so extraordinary a caseto such time as dley should rejoin dle squ~dron,and then refer it to the admiral. He recalled theunwonted agitation of CaptaiIl Vere and his excitedexclamations, so at variance with Ius normalmanner. Was he unhh'1ged?

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But assunUng that he is, it is not so susceptibleof proof. What then can the surgeon do? Nomore trying situation is conceivable than that ofan officer subordinate under a captain whom hesuspects to be not mad, indeed, but yet not quiteunaffected in his intellects. To argue Ius order tohim would be insolence. To resist lum would bemutiny.

In 0bedience to Captain Vere, he communicatedwhat had happened to the lieutenants and captainof marines, saying nothing as to the captain's state.They fully shared his own surprise and concern.Like him, too, they seemed to tlunk that such amatter should be referred to dle admiral.

.Chapter 21Who in dle rainbow can draw dle line where

tlle violet tint ends and the orange tint begins?Distinctly we see the difference of the colors, butwhere exacdy does the one first blendingly enter

2 into the other? So with sanity and insanity. Inpronounced cases there is no question about them.But in some supposed cases, in various degreessupposedly less pronounced, to draw tlle exact line

. of demarcation few will undertake, tllough for a feesome professional experts will. There is nothingnamable but that some men will, or undertake to,do it for pay.

Whedler Captain Vere, as tlle surgeonprofessionally and privately surnused, was reallythe sudden victim of any degree of aberration,everyone must determine for himself by such lightas tlUs narrative may afford ...

The case indeed was such dlat fain would theBellipotent's captain have deferred taking any actionwhatever respecting it further than to keep theforetop man [Billy] a close prisoner i:ill the shiprejoined the squadron and then submitting thematter to the judgment of Ius admiral.

But a true military officer is in one particularlike a true monle Not widl more of self-abnegationwill the latter keep Ius vows of monastic obediencethan the former his vows of allegiance to martialduty.

Feeling that unless quick action was taken onit, tl1e deed of the foretop man, so soon as it shouldbe known on the gun decks, would tend to awakenany slumbering embers of the Nore among the

crew, a sense of the urgency of the case overruledin Captain Vere every other coqsideration. Butthough a conscientious disciplinarian, he wasno lover of authority for mere authority's sake.Very far was he from embracing opportunitiesfor monopolizing to himself the perils of moralresponsibility, none at least that could properlybe referred to an official superior or shared withhim by his official equals or even subordinates. Sothinking, he was glad it would not be at variancewith usage to turn the matter over to a summarycourt of his own officers, reserving to himself,as the one on whom the ultimate accountabilitywould rest, the right of maintaining a supervisionof it, or formally or informally interposing at need.Accordingly a drumhead court was summarilyconvened, he electing the individuals composing it:the first lieutenant, t...~ecaptain of marines, and thesailing master.

In associating an officer of mannes withthe sea-lieutenants and the sailing master in acase having to do with a sailor, the commanderperhaps deviated from general custom. He wasprompted thereto by the circumstance that he tookthat soldier to be a judicious person, thoug~...tful,and not altogether incapable of grappling wfth adifficult case unprecedented in his prior experience.Yet even as to him he was not without some latentmisgiving, for withal he was an extremely good-natured man, an enjoyer of his dinner, a soundsleeper, and inclined to obesity - a man whothough he would always maintain his manhoodin battle might not prove altogether reliable in amoral dilemma involving aught of the tragic. As tothe first lieutenant and the sailing master, CaptainVere could not but be aware that though honestnatures, of approved gallantry upon occasion, theirintelligence was mostly confined to the matter ofactive seamanship and the fighting demands oftheir profession. The court was held in the samecabin where the unfortunate affair had taken place.This cabin, the commander's, embraced the entirearea under the poop deck. Aft, and on eitller side,was a small stateroom, the one now temporarily ajail and tlle other a dead-house, and a yet smallercompartment, leaving a space between, expandingforward into a goodly oblong of length coincidingwith the ship's beam. A skylight of moderate

dimension was overhead, and at each end of the'oblong space were two sashed porthole windowseasily convertible back into e~brasures for shortcarronades.

All being quickly in readiness, Billy Budd wasarraigned, Captain Vere necessarily appearing asthe solewitness in the case, and as such temporarilysinking .in rank, though singularly maintainingit in a matter apparently trivial, namely, that hetestilied from the ship's weather side, with thatobject having caused the court to sit on the leeside. Concisely he narrated all that had led up tothe catastrophe, omitting nothing in Claggart'saccusation and deposing as to the manner in whichthe prisoner had received it. At this testimonythe three officers glanced with no little surprise atBilly Budd, the last man they would have suspectedeither of the mutinous design alleged by Claggartor the undeniable deed he himself had done. Thefirst lieutenant, taking judicial primacy and turningtoward the prisoner, said, "Captain Vere has spoken.Is it or is it not as Captain Vere says?"

In response came syllables not so muchimpeded .in the utterance as might have beenanticipated. They were these: "Captain Vere tellsthe truth. It is just as Captain Vere says, but it is notas the master-at-arms said. I have eaten the King'sbread and I am true to the King."

"I believe you, my man," said the witness,his voice indicating a suppressed emotion nototherwise betrayed ....

"One' question more," said the officer ofmarines, now first speaking and with a troubledearnestness. "You tell us that what the master-at-arms said against you was a lie. Now why should hehave so lied, so maliciously lied, since you declarethere was no malice between you?"

At that question, unintentionally touching on aspiritual sphere wholly obscure to Billy's thoughts,he was nonplussed, evincing a confusion indeed thatsome observers, such as can readily be imagined,would have construed into involuntary evidenceof hidden guilt. Nevertheless, he strove some wayto answer, but all at once relinquished the vainendeavO£, at the same time turning an appealingglance towards Captain Vere as deeming him hisbest helper and friend. Captain Vere, who had beenseated for a time, rose to his feet, addressing the

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interrogator. "The question you put to him comesnaturally enough. But how can he rightly answerit? or anybody else, unless indeed it be he who lieswitl"lin there," designating the compartment wherelay tl1e corpse. "But the prone one tl1ere will notrise to our summons. In effect, though, as it seemsto me, tl1epoint you make is hardly material. Quiteaside from any conceivable motive actuating themaster-at-arms, and irrespective of tl1e provocationto the blow, a martial court must needs in thepresent case confine its attention to the blow'sconsequence, which consequence justly is to bedeemed not otherwise tl1an as tl1e striker's deed."

This utterance, the full significance of which itwas not at all likely that Billy took in, neverthelesscaused l1in1to turn awistful interrogative look towardtl1e speaker, a look in its dumb expressiveness notunlike that which a dog of generous breed mightturn upon his master, seeking in his face someelucidation of a previous gesture an1biguous to thecanine intelligence. Nor was the same utterancewitl10ut marked effect upon tl1e tl1tee officers, moreespecially the soldier. Couched in it seemed to thema meaning unanticipated, involving a prejudgmenton tl1e speaker's part. It served to augment a mentaldisturbance previously evident enough.

The soldier once more spoke, in a tone ofsuggestive dubiety addressing at once his associatesand Captain Vere: "Nobody is present - noneof the ship's company, I mean - who might shedlateral light, if any is to be had, upon what remainsmysterious in this matter."

"That is tl10ughtfully put," said Captain Vere;"I see your drift. Ay, there is a mystery; but, to usea scriptural phrase, it is a 'mystery of iniquity,' amatter for psychologic tl1eologians to discuss. Butwhat has a military court to do with it? Not to addthat for us any possible investigation of it is cut offby the lasting tongue-tie of - him - in yonder,"again designating the mortuary stateroom. "Theprisoner's deed - witl1 that alone we have to do."

To this, and particularly the closing reiteration,the marine soldier, knowing not how aptly toreply, sadly abstained from saying aught. The firstlieutenant, who at the outset had not unnaturallyassumed primacy in the court, now overrulinglyinstructed by a glance from Captain Vere, a glancemore effective than words, resumed that primacy.

Turning to the prisoner, "Budd," he said, and scarcein equable tones, ''Budd, if you have aught furthetto say for yourself, say it now;"

Upon this the young sailor turned anotherquick glance toward Captain Vere; then, as takinga hint from that aspect, a hint confirming hisown instinct tl1at silence was now best, replied tothe lieutenant, "I have said all, sir..." [Billy Buddis returned to the compartment.] As the twaindisappeared from view; the three officers as partiallyliberated from some inward constraint associatedwith Billy's mere presence, simultaneously stirredin their seats. They exchanged looks of troubledindecision, yet feeling that decide they must andwitl10ut long delay. As for Captain Vere, he for thetime stood - unconsciously with his back towardthem, apparently in one of his absent fits - gazingout from a sashed porthole to windward upon tl1emonotonous blank of the twilight sea... When,speak he did ...what he said was to this effect:

"Hitherto I have been but the witness, little .more; and I should hardly think now to takeanother tone, that of your coadjutor for thetime, did I not perceive in you - at the crisistoo - a troubled hesitancy, proceeding, I doubtnot, from tl1e clash of military duty with moralscruple - scruple vitalized by compassion. Forthe compassion, how can I otherwise than shareit? But, mindful of paramount obligations, I striveagainst scruples that may tend to enervate decision.Not, gentlemen, that I hide from myself that thecase is an exceptional one. Speculatively regarded,it well might be referred to a jury of casuists. Butfor us here, acting not as casuists or moralists, it isa case practical, and under martial law practically tobe dealt witl1."

"But the exceptional in the matt~r moves thehearts within you. Even so too is mine moved.But let not warm hearts betray heads that shouldbe cool. Ashore in a criminal case, will an uprightjudge allow himself off tl1e bench to be waylaidby some tender kinswoman of the accused seekingto touch him with her tearful plea? Well, the hearthere, sometimes the feminine in man, is as thatpiteous woman, and hard tl10ugh it b~, she musthere be ruled out."

He paused, earnestly studying them for amoment; then resun1ed.

"But something in your aspect seems to urgethat it is riot solely the heart that moves in you, butalso the conscience, the private conscience. But tellme whether or not, occupying the position we do,private conscience should not yield to that imperialone formulated in the code under which alone weofficially proceed?"

Here the three men moved in their seats,less convinced than agitated by d1e course of anargumeht troubling but the more the spontaneousconflict within.

Perceiving which, the speal<:er paused for amoment; then abruptly changing his tone, wenton. "To steady us a bit, let us recur to the facts.In wartime at sea a man-of-war's man strikes hissuperior in grade, and the blow kills. Apart fromits effect the blow itself is, according to the Articlesof War, a capital crime. Furthermore-"

"Ay, sir," emotionally broke in the officer ofmarines, "in one sense it was: But surely Buddpurposed neither mutiny nor homicide."

"Surely not, my good man. And before a courtless arbitrary and more merciful than a martial one,that plea would largely extenuate. At the Last Assizesit shall acquit. But how here? We proceed ur:.?erthe law of the Mutiny Act. In feature no child 'tanresemble his fatl1er more than that Act resemblesin spirit the thing from which it derives - War. InHis Majesty's service - in this ship, indeed - thereare Englishmen forced to fight for the King againsttheir will. Against their conscience, for aught weknow; Though as d1eir fellow creatures some of usmay appreciate their position, yet as navy officerswhat reck we of it? Still less recks the enemy. Ourimpressed men he would fain cut down in thesame swaili wiili our volunteers. As regards theenemy's naval conscripts, some of whom may evenshare our own abhorrence of the regicidal FrenchDirectory, it is d1e same on our side. War looks butto the frontage, the appearance. And the MutinyAct, War's child, takes after ilie fatl1er. Budd'sintent or non-intent is nothing to ilie purpose.

"But while, put to it by those anxieties in youwhich I cannot but respect, I only repeat myself -while thus strangely we prolong proceedings thatshould be sUil1ffiary- the enemy may be sightedand an engagement result. We must do; and one oftwo things must we do - condell1ll or let go."

"Can we not convict and yet ffilngate thepenalty?" asked the sailing master, here speaking,and falteringly, for the first.

"Gentlemen, were that clearly lawful for usunder the circumstances, consider the consequencesof such clemency. The people" (meaning the ship'scompany) "have native sense; most of them arefamiliar with our naval usage and tradition; andhow would they take it? Even could you explainto them - which our official position forbids -they, long molded by arbitrary discipline, have notthat kind of intelligent responsiveness. that mightqualify them to comprehend and discrin1inate.No, to the people the foretopman's deed, howeverit be worded in the announcement, will be plainhomicide committed in a flagrant act of mutiny.What penalty for that should follow, they know;But it does not follow; W0'? they will ruminate.You know what sailors are. Will they not revert tothe recent outbreak at the Nore? Ay. They knowthe well-founded alarm - the panic it struckthroughout England. Your clement sentence theywould account pusillanimous. They would thinkiliat we flinch, that we are afraid of them - afraidof practicing a lawful rigor singularly demanded atthis juncture, lest it should provoke new troubles.What shame to us such a conjecture on theirpart, and how deadly to discipline. You see then,whither, prompted by duty and the law, I steadfastlydrive. But I beseech you, my friends, do not takeme amiss. I feel as you do for this unfortunate boy.But did he know our hearts, I take him to be ofthat generous nature that he would feel even forus on whom in this military necessity so heavy acompulsion is laid."

With that, crossing the deck he resumed hisplace by the sashed porthole, tacitly leaving the threeto come to a decision. On the cabin's opposite sidethe troubled court sat silent. Loyal lieges, plain andpractical, though at bottom they dissented fromsome points Captain Vere had put to them, theywere without ilie faculty, hardly had the inclination,to gainsay one whom they felt to be an earnest man,one too not less ilieir superior in mind than in navalrank. But it is not improbable that even such of hiswords as were not without influence over iliem, lesscame home to them than his closing appeal to ilieirinstinct as sea officers: in the forethought he t.~rew

out as to the practical consequences to discipline,considering the unconfirmed tone of the fleet at thetime, should a man-of-war's man's violent killing atsea of a superior in grade be allowed to pass foraught else than a capital crime demanding promptinfliction of the penalty.

Not unlikely they were brought to somethingmore or less akin to that harassed frame of mindwhich in the year 1842 actuated the commander ofthe U.S. brig-of-war Somers to resolve, urlder the so-called Articles of War, Articles modeled upon theEnglish Mutiny Act, to resolve upon the executionat sea of a midshipman and two sailors as mutineersdesigning the seizure of the brig. Which resolutionwas carried out though in time of peace and withinnot many days' sail of home. An act vindicatedby a naval court of inquiry subsequently convenedashore. History, and here cited witl10ut comment.True, the circumstances on board the Somers weredifferent from those on board the Bellipotent. Butthe urgency felt, well-warranted or othenvise, wasmuch tl1e same.

Says awriter whom few kno\1i~"Forty years aftera battle it is easy for a noncombatant to reason abouthow it ought to have been fought. It is anotherthing personally and under fire to have to directthe fighting while involved in the obscuring smokeof it. Much so with respect to other emergenciesinvolving considerations both practical and moral,and when it is imperative promptly to act. Thegreater the fog the more it imperils the steamer, andspeed is put on tl10ugh at the hazard of runningsomebody down. Little ween the snug card playersin the cabin of the responsibilities of the sleeplessman on the bridge."

In brief, Billy Budd was formally convicted andsentenced to be hung at the yardarm in the earlymorning watch, it being now night. Otherwise,as is customary in such cases, the sentence wouldforthwith have been carried out. In wartime on thefield or in the fleet, a mortal punishment decreed bya drumhead court on the field sometimes decreedby but a nod from the general - follows withoutdelay on the heel of conviction, without appeal..

Melville, Herman. Billy Budd. London: Constable,1924.

I('ung fu=tzu - ""Confuclusuv (551? = 479Chinese PhilosopherExcerpts from 'Lun Yil' or The Analects

K'ung Fu-tzu, or "Master K'ung," known inthe West as Confucius, was a Chinese politicaland ethical philosopher, educator, and reformer.Confucius lived during a time of political disorderwhen might often made right, and in whichdealings and relations were often managed on thebasis of personal advantage. In the aristocraticChinese society of the time, those with influenceand power had inherited it. Confucius himselfwas born into a noble family and served the statein minor official capacities. However, he soughtto establish a more equitable hierarchical systemthat was not based on birth. He wished to end thepolitical infighting and to establish political order,and he advocated transforming the martial societyinto a more civil one; one in which leadership andgovernment would be based on more than militaryprowess and strength. The Analects purport to be arecord of conversations and sayings of Confuciusand often focus on issues related to this socialand political transformation he desired. He raisesquestions of what constitutes merit, how onerecognizes it, and how one develops it. He alsooften refers to historical and legendary figures,good and bad, to illustrate his points. He saysthat what he proposes has historical precedent andcan thus be accomplished again. In this way, histhinking is practical and he promotes a union oftheory and practice. His theories were based on aworldly, rational philosophy emphasizing humanityand goodness Gen), propriety (Ii), reverence for theancient sages, and government by personal virtue.

By the second century B.C.E., Confucianismhad become the do~t philosophy in China.Confucius had also identified texts that he thoughta person should study, and throughout much of

subsequent Chinese history, his program of readingand activities was considered central to a person'seducation. In fact, for a span of nearly 700 years,from the thirteenth century to the beginning ofthe twentieth century, The Analects was consideredessential to the education of those preparing forofficial careers in the Chinese imperial government- the leaders an.d managers of Chinese society.

During the Enlightenment period in Europe(eighteenth century), the Chinese governmentalsystem was much admired, and it served as apatrern for civil service systems in England, andindirectly in the United States. Confucian thoughtfell into disrepute early in the twentieth century,after the Chinese empire crumbled as a result ofWestern encroachment and a host of economic andpolitical problems. Chinese leaders believed thatConfucianism was part of China's backwardnessand tried to institute reforms based on different,Western ideas. The influence of Confucianism,however, has proved to be persistent, if the variousanti-Confucian campaigns launched by the Chinesecommunist party are any indication. Another,perhaps stronger indicator of Confucian thought'scontinuing vitality and adaptability, is the economicrise in the late twentieth century of Taiwan, HongKong, Singapore, and South Korea. The success ofthese four economies had been attributed at leastin part to Confucianism and has led to renewedinterest in this tradition of thought.

The Analects has been one of the mostinfluential texts in East Asian history. Thestatements of Confucius offer a challenging wayto examine and reflect on a number of leadershiptopics, including ethics, power, motivation,authority, and communication. The Analects wascompiled some time after Confucius' death, and

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Confucius is usually referred to as "The Master,"a term of veneration. The text is organized intotwenty 'books,' which are themselves divided intobrief chapters. Some chapters consist of a singlesaying by Confucius. More often, chapters consistof a conversation between Confucius aJ.'1done ormore of his disciples. In such chapters, The Analectsgive an idea of how Confucius taught and how headapted his thinking to the various capacities of hisstudents. Often the chapters seem almost to standas an independent unit, and there is frequentlyno narrative or logical connection between thechapters in each book. Sometimes dle books donot always seem to have a coherent focus. In thisway, the structure of The Analects frustrates a linearreading process. The intent seems to be to focusa reader's attention more closely on the contentof each chapter, to force a reader to concentratefully on tl1e thought expressed. On first reading,the application and relevance of many of thesesayings may not be immediately apparent. Deeperreflection and discussion, however, should allowConfucius' wisdom to emerge.

r.",. How does Confucius feel about tl1e use ofpunishment?

One of the central themes of this Book is that learning (xue)has more to do 1vith actual behavior than academic theory,and that vi/iuotls public behavior as all adult is rooted insuch basic familial virtues as filial piety (xioo) and respect

for elders (ti).

The 1ifaster said, "To learn and tl1en haveoccasion to practice what you have learned - is tlus

not satisfying? To have friends arrive from afar -is tlus not a joy? To be patient even when otl1ersdo not understand - is this not the mark of tl1egentleman?"

; .::'. Master You said, "A young person who isfilial and respectful of his elders rarely becomestl1e kind of person who is inclined to defy Iussuperiors, and there has never been a case of onewho is disinclined to defy his superiors stirring uprebellion.

"The gentleman applies himself to the roots.'Once tl1e roots are firmly established, the Way willgrow.' Might we not say that filial piety and respectfor elders constitute the root of Goodness?"

j 3 The Master said, ''A clever tongue and fineappearance are rarely signs of Goodness."

"j ,,~~ Master Zeng said, "Every day I exan'line myselfor1'tl1ree counts: in my dealings witl1 otl1ers, have Iin any way failed to be dutiful? In my interactionswitl1 friends and associates, have I in any way failedto be trustworthy? Finally, have I in any way failedto repeatedly put into practice what I teach?

'j -5 The Master said, "To guide a state of onethousand chariots, be respectful in your handlingof affairs and display trustworthirless; be frugal inyour expenditures and cherish others; and employthe common people only at the proper times."

",~! The Master said, ''A young person shouldbe filial when at home and respectful of his elderswhen in public. Conscientious and trustworthy, heshould display a general care for tl1e masses but feela particular affection for tl10se who are Good. Ifhe has any strength left over after manifesting thesevirtues in practice, let him devote it to learning thecultural arts (111en)."

Zi..xiasaid, "Imagine someone who recognizesand admires worthiness and therefore changes hislustful nature, who is able to fully exhaust his strengtl1in serving his parents and extend himself to the utmostin serving his lord, and who is trustwortl1Y in speechwhen L.'1teractingwitl1 friends and associates. Even ifyou said of such a person, 'Oh, but he is not learned

(xt/e),' I would stillinsist that it is precisely such qualitiesthat make one worthy of being called 'le~ed.'"

,,':; The Master said, "If a gentleman is notserious, he will not inspire awe, and what he learnswill be grasped only superficially.

Let your actions be governed by dutifulnessand trustworthiness, and do not accept as a friendone who is not your equal. If you have committeda transgression, do not be afraid to change yourways."

'~i5 Master Zeng said, "Take great care in seeingoff the deceased and sedulously maintain thesacrifices to your distant ancestors, and the commonpeople will sincerely return to Virtue."

~i,,'j D Ziqin and Zigong, "When our Master arrives ina state, he invariably finds out about its government.Does he actively seek out this information? Surely itis not simply offered to him!"

Zigong answered, "Our Master obtainsit through being courteous, refined, respectful,restrained, and deferential. The Master's way ofseeking it is entirely different from other people's.,way of seeking it, is it not?"

"1 ."\ j The Master said, "When someone's fatheris still alive, observe his intentions; after his fatherhas passed away, observe his conduct. If for threeyears he does not alter the ways of his father, hemay be called a filial son."

'J • '] 2 Master You said, "When it comes to thepractice of ritual, it is harmonious ease (he) thatis to be valued. It is precisely such harmony thatmakes the Way of the Former Kings so beautiful. Ifyou merely stick rigidly to ritual in all matters, greatand small, there will remain that which you cannotaccomplish. Yet if you know enough to valueharmonious ease but try to attain it without beingregulated by the rites, this will not work either."

1 . 'J 5; Master You said, "Trustworthiness comesclose to rightness, in that your word can be countedUpon. Reverence comes close to ritual propriety, inthat it allows you to keep shame and public disgrace 'at a distance. Simply following these virtues, never

letting them out of your sight - one cannot denythat this is worthy of respect."

,C," The Master said, "The gentleman is notmotivated by the desire for a full belly or acomfortable abode. He is simply scrupulousin behavior and arreful in speech, drawing nearto those who possess the Way in order to be setstraight by them. Surely this and nothing else iswhat it means to love learning."

I ,'\ ~;, Zigong said, "Poor without being obsequious,rich without being arrogant - what would you sayabout someone like that?"

The Master answered, "That is acceptable,but it is still not as good as being poor and yetjoyful, rich and yet loving ritual."

Zigong said, ''An ode says,'As if cut, as if polished;As if carved, as if ground.'

Is this not what you have in mind?"The Master said, "Zigong, you are precisely

the kind of person with whom one can begin todiscuss the Odes. Informed as to what has gonebefore, you know what is to come."

';. ~6 The Master said, "Do not be concerned aboutwhether or not others know you; be concernedabout whether or not you know others."

BQD~In this book) we see elaborations of a theme suggested in 1.2:political orderis not obtained l?]means of force orgovernmentregulations, but rather I!J the non-coercive influence of themorallY peifeaed person. Several descriptions of such wu-weipeifection appear in this book (including Confucius'famousspiritual autobiograp01 in 2.4) and we also find an extendeddiscussion of the "root)) virtue of filial piety that emphasizesthe importance of having the proper internal dispositions.

J. "" The Master said, "One who rules throughthe power of Vtrtueis analogous to the Pole Star: itsimply remains in its place and receives the homageof the myriad lesser stars."

:.2 The 1\.faster said, "The Odes number severalhundred, and yet can be judged with a single phrase:'Oh, they will not lead you astray.'''

L::: The Master said, "If you try to guide th.ecommon people with coercive regulations Ci/JmiJand keep them in line with punishments, thecommon people will become evasive and will haveno sense of shame. If, however, you guide themwith Virtue, and keep them in line by means ofritual, the people will have a sense of shanle and"rJl rectify themselves."

::::.,~~The Master said, '~t fifteen, I set my mindupon learning; at dillty, I took my place in society; atforty, I became free of doubts; at fifty, I understoodHeaven's Mandate; at sixty, my ear was atnuled; andat seventy, I could follow my heart's desires withoutoverstepping the bounds of propriety."

:: .5 Meng Yizi asked about filial piety. The Masterreplied, "Do not disobey."

Later, Fan Chi was driving the Master'schariot. The Master said to him, "Just now MengYizi asked me about filial piety, and I answered, 'Donot disobey.'''

Fan Chi said, "What did you mean by that?"The Master replied, "When your parents are

alive, serve them in accordance widl dle rites; whenthey pass away, bury d1.em in accordance with therites and sacrifice to them in accordance with d1.erites."

.':; Meng Wubo asked about filial piety. TheMaster replied, "Give your parents no cause foranxiety od1.er than d1.epossibility that they mightfall ill."

~..' Ziyou asked about filial piety. The Mastersaid, "Nowadays 'filial' means simply being able toprovide one's parents with nourishment. But evendogs and horses are provided with nourishment.If you are not respectful, wherein lies d1.edifference?"

Zixia asked about filial piety. The Mastersaid, "It is d1.edemeanor that is difficult. If d1.ereiswork to be done, disciples shoulder the burden, andwhen wine and food are served, elders are givenprecedence, but surely filial piety consists of morethan this."

?:.:;) The Master said, "I can talk all day long widlYan Hui without him once disagreeing widl me. Inthis way, he seems a bit stupid. And yet when weretire and I observe his private behavior, I see d1.atit is in fact worthy to serve as an illustration of whatI have taught. Hui is not stupid at all."

2."Fj The Master said, "Look at the means a manemploys, observe the basis from which he acts, anddiscover where it is that he feels at ease. Where canhe lude? Where can he hide?"

:~..,.; The Master said, "Both keeping past teachingsalive and understanding the present - someoneable to do tlus is worthy of being a teacher."

2.i2 The Master said, "The gendeman is not avessel."

;~:'f3' Zigong asked about the gendeman.The Master said, "He first expresses his

views, and then acts in accordance wid1.d1.em."

'2. "if: The :Master said, "The gendeman is broadand not partial; the petty person is partial and notbroad."

;~.'l5 The Master said, "If you learn widloutdUnking about what you have learned, you will belost. If you dUnk without learning, however, youwill fall into danger."

2. •. ': 5 The Master said, "Working from the wrongstarting point will lead to nothing but harm."

:2 ,: 7 The Master s~id, "Zilu, remark well what I amabout to teach you! This is wisdom: to recognizewhat you know as what you know, and recognize.what you do not know as what you do not knOw."

'L. ; 5."\ Zizhang asked about obtaining officialposition.

Confucius said, "If you first learn as much asyou can, then guard against that wluch is dubiousand speak carefully about the rest, you will seldomspeak in error. If you first observe as much as youcan, then guard against that which is perilous and

carefully put the rest into action, you 'Willseldomhave cause for regret. If in your speech you seldomerr, and in your behavior you seldom have cause forregret, an official position ,,,ill follow naturally."

2. j S:' Duke Ai asked, "What can I do to induce thecommon people to be obedient?"

Confucius replied, "Raise up the straightand apply them to the crooked, and the people willsubmit to you. If you raise up the crooked andapply them to the straight, the people will neversubmit."

." ~ A J' IT . k d "HL~'(I 1 '>..angzl as re, ow cancommon people to be respectful;industrious?"

The Master said, "Oversee them with dignity,and the people will be respectful; oversee them withfiliality and kindness, and the people will be dutiful;oversee them by raising up the accomplished andinstructing those who are unable, and the peoplewill be industrious."

I cause thedutiful, and

}.:J.1 Some people said of Confucius, "Why is it

that he is not participating in government?" ~

[Upon being informed of this,] the Masterremarked, "The Book of DoCttfllents says,

'Filial, oh so filial,Friendly to one's elders and juniors; [In

this way] exerting an influence upon those whogovern.'

Thus, in being a filial son and good brotherone is already taking part in government. Whatneed is there, then, to speak of 'participating ingovernment'?"

222 The Master said, "I cannot see how a persondevoid of trustworthiness could possibly get alongin the world. Imagine a large ox-drawn cart withouta linchpin for its yolk, or a small horse drawn cartwithout a linchpin for its collar: how could theypossibly be driven?"

.) Zizhang asked, "Can \ve know what it will belike ten generations from now?"

The Master responded, "The Yin followed therituals of the Xia, altering them only in ways that we

know: The Zhou followed the rituals of the Yin,altering them only in ways that we know: If somedynasty succeeds the Zhou, we can know what itwill be like even a hundred generations from now:"

'2.24 The Master said, " To sacrifice to spirits thatare not one's own is to be presumptuous. To seewhat is right, but to fail to do it, is to be lacking incourage."

Slingerland, Edward, trans. Confucius Analects.Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 2003. Reprinted bypermission of Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. Allrights reserved.

"To be a certain kind of moral leader ... is often to see what needs to be done orchanged and then to exhort, to remind others of what was, what needs to be or ought be;to criticize what is, even reprimand, reprove those who won't see it or acknowledge it, whouphold the conventional, the established, at whatever cost to people in trouble. To be amoral leader is to see and to provoke, to stir others, teach them, persuade them, move themto reflection, inspire, and inform them, dramatize for them the particular issues, matters at stakein a given struggle, emphasize for them (for oneself, too) those issues, those matters - tolecture, hector even, invoke (calling, for example, upon moral traditions, beliefs, teachings),to evoke (give expression to those learned values, pieties that have been passed by parents,teachers, and clergy to the young). To be a moral leader is to reason, directly or indirectly,with others, to expand tl1eir sense of the possible, the desirable, the undesirable, and soat times to restrain others, wam them of dangers, even as one is alerting them to possiblegains, achievements: to uplift, to try to help enable ideals, give tl1em the life of a personaland social reality."

- Robert ColesProfessor of Psychiatry and Medical Humanities

Harvard Medical SchoolLives of Moral Leadership (New York: Random House, 2000) 191.

jJUniversal Human Values: Finding an Ethical Common Groundrv

/ Note the nations and cultures and professionsrepresented in the group of people Kidderinterviewed for this study. Do you thinkthat the group is diverse enough for him toconclude that their opinions on a code of valuescan develop a universal code of human values?

> Can you think of specific issues that troubleyou and that help prove Kidder's assertionthat there is a "pressing need for shared valuesin our age of global interdependence withoutconsensus?"

If Kidder interviewed you, how would youanswer the question "If you could hdp createa global code of ethics, what would be on it?"

In the remote New Zealand village of Panaurub '

tucked into the mountains at the end of a windinggravel road, a Maori woman nearly a century oldpauses for a moment as she talks about the moralvalues of her people. "This is God's country!" saysDame Whina Cooper with great feeling, gesturingtoward the flowers blooming among the birdsongs outside her modest frame house. "Only, wethe people running it must be doing somethingwrong."

Halfway around the world, in a United Nationsoffice perched under the eaves of a 6fteenth-century building in Florence, a leading journalistfrom Sri Lanka is asked what will happen if theworld enters the twenty-first century with theethics of the twentieth. "I feel it will be disastrous",Varind:ra Tarzie Vittachi replies simply.

Midway between, in his well-appointedresidence in San Jose, Costa Rica, former presidentOscar Arias explains that our global survival "willbecome more complicated and precarious thanever before, and the ethics required of us must becorrespondingly sophisticated."

Turn where you will in the world and the refrainis the same. The ethical barometer is falling, andthe consequences appear to be grave. That, at least,is one of the impressions to be drawn from the twodozen individuals from sixteen nations interviewedover the past few years by the Institute for GlobalEthics.

These interviews did not seek to discover theethical failings of various nations, but rather tofind the moral glue that will bind us together in thetwenty-first century. These voices speak powerfullyof an underlying moral presence shared by allhumanity - a set of precepts so fundamental thatthey dissolve borders, transcend races, and outlastcultural traditions.

There is a pressing need for shared values in ourage of global interdependence without consensus.But there is one very real question unanswered:Is there in fact a single set of values that wise,ethical people around the world might agree on?Can there be a global code of ethics? If there is acommon core of values "out there" in the world,it ought to be identifiable through examination ofcontemporary modes of thought in various culturesaround the world. Can it be found?

On that topic, the two dozen "men and womenof conscience" interviewed had a clear point ofview: "Yes," they said, "there is such a code, and itcan be clearly articulated." These interviewees werechosen not because they necessarily know moreabout ethics than their peers - although some

do, having made it a lifelong study. Nor were theychosen because they are the single most exemplaryperson of their nation or community, though somecould easily be nominated for that honor. Theyare, however, ethical thought-leaders within theirdifferent cultures, each viewed by his or her peersas a kL.ldof ethical standard-bearer, a keeper of theconscience of the community, a center of moralgravity.

Each of the interviews began with a commonquestion: If you could help create a global code ofethics, what would be on it? What moral values,in other words, would you bring to the table fromyour own culture and background?

In an ideal world, one would have assembledall the interviewees around a table, had each talk foran hour, had each listen intently to all the others,and finally had them arrive at a consensus. If theycould have done so, here's the core of moral valuesupon which tl1eyprobably would have agreed:

LoveDespite the concern of foundation executive

James A. Joseph in Washington that "tl1e L-word, Love," is falling sadly into disuse, it figuredprominently in these interviews. "Love, yes," saidchildren's author Astrid Lindgren in Stockholm."This is the main word for what we need - loveon all stages and with all people."

"The base of moral behavior is first of allsolidarity, love, and mutual assistance," said formerfirst lady Gra<;::aMachel of Mozambique. Buddhistmonk Shojun Banda in Tokyo agreed, detailingthree different kinds of love and insisting that "itshouldn't be that others should tell you to love otl1ers:It should just come of its own will, spontaneously."Or, as autl10r Nien Cheng from China put it, "Youcannot guide without love."

For tribal chief Reuben Snake of Nebraska,tl1e central word is compassion. "We have to becompassionate with one another and help oneanother, to hold each other up, support oneanotl1er down the road of life," he recalled hisgrandfatl1er telling him. Thinking back on herdealings with a global spectrum of cultures ~tthe United Nations, former ambassador JeanneKirkpatrick in Washington noted dlat, no matterhow severe the political differences, "there was

a kind of assumption, on the part of almosteveryone, tl1at people would help one another atthe personal level."

TruthfulnessOf the four theses that form Harvard

University ex-president Derek Bok's code ofedUcs, two center on truth. "You should notobtain your ends through lying and deceitfulpractices," he said, and you have a «responsibilityto keep [your] promises." Astrid Lindgren putit with equal clarity when she spoke of the needto "be honest, not lying, not afraid to say youropinion."

Looking through the lens of science, the lateeconomist Kennetl1 Boulding of Colorado alsoput "a very high value on veracity - telling thetrUtl1. The tl1ing that gets you run out of thescientific community is being caught out tellinga lie." Fortunately, said Bangladeshi bankerMbhammad Yunus, tl1e spread of technologymakes it increasingly difficult for the truth to behidden. In the future, "people will be forced toreveal tl1emselves," he said. "Nothing can be kepthidden secret - not in computers, not in the hallsof government, notl1ing. People will feel muchmore comfortable when they're dealing in truth.You converge around and in truth."

Here, however, as with many of these globalvalues, tl1ere was also a residue of concern - afear that trust, which is central to honesty andtrutl1fulness, seems to be falling into abeyance."The idea tl1at you ought to be able to trustsomebody is out of fashion," worried KatharineWhitehorn, columnist for The Observer of London.That's a point seconded by corporate executiveJames K. Baker of Indiana. "Little by little," hesaid, "if we let tl1at trust go out of our personaldealings with one anotl1er, tl1en I think the systemreally begins to have trouble."

FairnessElevating the concept of justice to the top of

his list, philosopher and autl10r John W Gardner ofStanford University said, "I consider that probablythe number-one candidate for your commonground." By jttstice, he meant "fair play, or someword for even-handedness."

"Here, one could get caught up in the verycomplicated theories of social justice," w:u-nedJames A. Joseph. "Or one could simply look atthe Golden Rule. I relate fairness to treating otherpeople as I would want to be treated. !think that[rule] serves humanity well. It ought to be part ofany ethic for the future."

For many, the concern for fairness goes handin hand with the concept of equality. ''The pursuitof equality is basic," said columnist and editorSergio Munoz of Mexico City and Los Angeles."The people who come from Mexico and EISalvador have the same values, in my point ofview; as the person who comes from Minnesota orfrom Alabama or from California - those basicprinciples that are common to all civilizations."

For some, like Joseph, the concept of fairnessand equality focuses strongly on racial issues.Others, like author Jill Ker Conway from Australia,see the need for "greater equity between the sexes."Still others, like UNESCO Director-GeneralFederico Mayor of Spain, see the problem as oneof international relations: Despite the groundswellof interest in democracy arising within the formerEast Bloc nations, Westerners "have not reacted ~ashumans, but only as economic individuals ... Evenequity - the most important value in all the world- has collapsed."

FreedomVery early in human history, saidJohn Gardner,

"the concept of degrees of freedom of my action- as against excessive constraints on my action bya tyrant or by military conquerors - emerged."Even the earliest peoples "knew when they weresubjugated" - and didn't like it. That desire forliberty, he said, persists to the present as one of thedefining values of humanity.

But liberty requires a sense of individualityand the right of that individual to express ideasfreely, many of the interviewees said. "Without theprinciple of individual conscience, every attempt toinstitutionalize ethics must necessarily collapse" saidOscar Arias. "The effect of one up%oht individualis incalculable. World leaders may see their effectsin headlines, but the ultimate course of the globewill be, determined by the efforts of innumerabieindividuals acting on their consciences."

Such action, for many of these thinkers, issynonymous with democracy. "I think democracyis a must for all over the world," said Salim EI Hoss,former prime minister of Lebanon. He defined theingredients of democracy as "freedom of expressionplus accountability plus equal opportunity." Whilehe worried that the latter two are lacking in manycountries, he noted that the fust condition, freedomof expression, is increasingly becoming available to"all peoples."

UnityAs a counterbalance to the needs of individual

conscience, however, stands the value thatembraces the individual's role in a larger collective.Of the multitude of similar terms used for thatconcept in these interviews (fraternity, solidanry,cooperation, community, group allegiance, oneness) unityseems the most encompassing and the least opento misconstruction. For some, it is a simple en decoeurin a world that seems close to coming undone."I want unity," said Dame Whina Cooper of NewZealand, adding that "God wants us to be onepeople." For Tarzie Vittachi of Sri Lanka, theidea of unity embraces a global vision capable ofmoving humanity from "unbridled competition"to cooperation. "That is what is demanded of usnow: putting our community first, meaning theearth first, and all living things."

The problem arises when the common goodis interpreted "by seeing the relation betweenthe individual and the common in individualisticterms," said Father Bernard Przewozny of Rome.Carried to the extreme, individualism is "destructiveof social life, destructive of communal sharing,destructive of participation," he said, adding that"the earth and its natural goods are the inheritanceof all peoples."

Tolerance"If you're serious about values," said John

Gardner, "then you have to add tolerance very early- very early. Because you have to have constraints.The more you say, 'Values are important,' the moreyou have to say, 'There are limits to which you canimpose your values on me.' "

"It is a question of respect for the dignity ofeach of us," said Gra~a Machel. "If you have a

different idea from mine, it's not because you'reworse than me. You have the right to thinkdifferently." Agreeing, Derek Bok defined toleranceas "a decent respect for the right of other peopleto have ideas, an obligation or at least a strongdesirability of listening to different points of viewand attempting to understand why they are held."

''You have your own job, you eat your ownfood," said Vietnamese writer and activist Le LyHayslip. "How you rnake that food is up to you,and how I live my life is up to me."

Reuben Snake traced the idea of toleranceback to a religious basis. "The spirit that makes youstand up and walk and talk and see and hear andthink is the same spirit that exists in me - there'sno difference," he said. "So when you look at me,you're looking at yourself - and I'm seeing me inyou."

Abstracting from the idea of tolerance the coreprinciple of respect for variety, Kenneth Bouldinglinked it to the environmentalist's urgency overthe depletion of species. "If the blue whale isendangered, we feel worried about tlus, because welove the variety. of the world," he explained. "Insome sense I feel about the Catholic Church theway I feel about the blue whale: I don't think I'llbe one, but I would feel diminished if it becameextinct."

ResponsibilityOxford don A. H. Halsey placed the sense of

responsibility lugh on Ius list of values because of itsimpact on our common future. "We are responsiblefor our grandcl1.ildren," he explained, "and we willmake [the world] easier or more difficult for ourgrandcl1.ildren to be good people by what we doright here and now." This was a point made in adifferent way by Katllarine Whitehorn, who notedthat, while as a youth "it's fun to break away," it'svery much harder to "grow up and have to put ittogether again."

For Nien Cheng, the spotlight falls not somuch on tlle actions of the future as on the senseof self-respect in the present. "This is Confucius;teaclung," she said. ''You must take care of yourself.To rely on others is a great shame."

Responsibility also demands caring for others,Hayslip said. But, under the complex interactions

of medicine, insurance, and law that exists [sic]in the West, "If you come into my house and seeme lying here very sick, you don't dare move me,because you're not a doctor," she pointed out. "Sowhere is your human obligation? Where is yourhuman instinct to try to save me? You don't haveit. You lost it, because there are too many rules."

Yet, paradoxically, "responsibility is not oftenmentioned if} discussions of world politics oretlucs," said Oscar Arias. "There, the talk is all ofrights, demands, and desires." Human rights are"an unquestionable and critical priority for politicalsocieties :h1.d an indispensable lever for genuinedevelopment," he said. "But the important thing isnot just to assert rights, but to ensure that they beprotected. Aclueving this protection rests whollyon the principle of responsibility."

Chicago attorney Newton Minow agreed. "Ibelieve the basic reason we got off the track was thatrigh~s became more important than responsibilities,that ~ individuals became more important thancommunity interests. We've gotten to the pointwhere everybody's got a right and nobody's got aresponsibility."

At its ultimate, this sense of responsibilityextends to the concept of right use of force. "Youshouldn't perpetrate violence," said Derek Boksimply, finding agreement witll Jeane Kirkpatrick'sinsistence that "war is always undesirable" and that"any resort to force should be a very late option,never a first option."

Respect for UfeGrowing out of this idea of the responsible use

of force, but separate from and extending beyondit, is a value known most widely in the West fromtlle Ten Commandments: Thou shalt not kill. ForShojun Bando, it is an inflexible principle: Evenif ordered in wartime to defend his homeland bykilling, he said, "I would refuse. I would say, 'Icannot do this.'''

Such an idea, expressed in taday's peaceableJapan, may seem almost naive when exan1.inedthrough the lens of such war-riddled areas as theMiddle East. Yet, Salim EI Hoss took much thesame view; "I was a prime minister [of Leb'anon]for seven and a half years. I can't imagine myselfsigning a death penalty for anybody in the "vorId. I

think that is completely illegitimate, and I think thatis the kind of thing a code of ethics should dealwith."

Reuben Snake, noting that the North AmericanIndians have a war-like reputation, said, "Probablythe most serious shortcoming of tribal governmentsis their inability to effectively resolve conflictwithin the tribe and externally." He describedearlier Indian traditions, however, in which greatefforts were made by the tribal elders to preventkilling. That's a point with which Tarzie Vittachi- himself from the much-bloodied nation of SriLanka - felt perfectly at home. The first elementof the Buddhist "daily prayer" under which he wasraised, he recalled, is "I shall not kill." It is alsocentral to the Ten Commandments of the Jewishdecalogue under which Newton Minow was raisedand which he said he still feels form the basis forthe world's code of ethics.

Other Shared ValuesThere were, of course, other significant values

that surfaced in tl1ese interviews. Nien Cheng, forinstance, pointed to cOJ/rage. "One should basicallyknow what is right and what is wrong," she sai~,"and, when you know that, be courageous enoughto stand for what is right."

Figuring strongly in Shojun Bando's pantheonwas wisdom, which he defined as "attainingdetachment, getting away from being too attachedto things."

Whina Cooper put hospitality high on herlist, recalling that her father said, "If you see anystrangers going past, you call them - Kia Ora- that means to call them to come here." AstridLindgren put an emphasis on obedience - a qualitythat runs throughout the life of her most famouscharacter, Pippi Longstocking, though usually inreverse.

Kenneth Boulding pointed to peace, whichhe defined simply as "well-managed conflict."Thinking of peace brought Salim El Hoss tothe concept of stability. "Peace is equivalent tostability," he said, adding that "stability means along-term perspective of no problems." These andother values, while they don't find broad support,had firm proponents among those we interviewedand deserve serious attention.

Other values mentioned included the burningpublic concerns for racial harmony, respect.for women's place, and the protection of theenvironment. Many of the interviewees touchedon them, and some elevated them to high priority.Speiling of the need for racial harmony, JamesJoseph put at the top of his list a sense of "respectfor the cultures of other communities, respect forthe need to begin to integrate into our collectivememory appreciation of the contributions andtraditions of those who are different." Jill Conwaytopped her list with a warning about the "increasingexploitation of women" around the world. And ofthe many human rights identified by Father BernardPrzewozny, the one to which he has dedicated hislife is the "right to a healthy environment."

So what good is this code of values? It gives usa foundation for building goals, plans, and tactics,where things really happen and the world reallychanges. It unifies us, giving us a home territoryof consensus and agreement. And it gives us a way- not the way, but a way - to reply when we'reasked, ''Whose values will you teach?" Answeringthis last question, as we tumble into the twenty-firstcentury with the twentieth's sense of ethics, may beone of the most valuable mental activities of ourtime.

Originally published in the July-August 1994 issue ofThe Futurist. Used with permission from the WorldFuture Society, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 450,Bethesda,Maryland 20814. Telephone: 301/656-8274;Fax:301/951-0394; http:! /www. wfs.or~.

Jj Satyagraha ur

By Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869 - 1948)Leader of Indian Independence

Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869 - 1948) pursuedan education and career in law but dedicatedhis life to progress for the disadvantaged, thedispossessed, the oppressed, and the downtrodden,first in South Africa and then in his native India.His causes included Indian independence fromGreat Britain, Hindu-Muslim unity, and the endof "untouchability" - the discrimination againstthe lower orders of India's caste system of socialhierarchy. His new method of provoking changewas ultimately successful and earned him fame, thetitle "Mahatma" - Great Soul, and great achnirationaround the world: Gandhi preached and practicednon-violence - "soul force" or satyagraha, notphysical force - and inspired millions to emulatehis example in his country and elsewhere, includingMartin Luther King, Jr. and tl1eCivil Rights activistsof the United States. In tlns reading, Gandhiresponds as an editor and writer to questions fromreaders of papers and journal articles.

Why does Gandln contend tl1at passiveresistance is more courageous than resistance?

Do Gandhi's principles of "soul force" mirrortl1e universal human values of the previousreading at all?

What does Gandln mea., when he says thatpassive resistance is an "all-sided sword?"

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Reader. I deduce that passive resistance is asplendid weapon of the weak, but that when theyare strong tl1ey may take up arms.

Editor: TIus is gross ignorance. Passiveresistance, t-hat is, soul-force, is matchless. It issuperior to the force of arms. How, then, can it beconsidered only a weapon of the weak? Physical-force men are strangers to the courage that isrequisite in a passive resister. Do you believe thata coward ca., ever disobey a law that he dislikes?Extremists are considered to be advocates of bruteforce. Why do tl1ey, then, talk about obeying laws?fdo not blame them. They can say nothing else.When they succeed in driving out the English andthey themselves become governors, they will wantyou and me to obey their laws. And that is a fittingtlUng for their constitution. But a passive resisterwill say he will not obey a law tl1at is against Insconscience, even though he may be blown to piecesat tl1e mouth of a cannon.

What do you tl1ink? Wherein is couragerequired - in blowing others to pieces frombehind a cannon, or witl1 a smiling face to approacha cannon and be blown to pieces? Who is tl1e truewarrior - he who keeps death aiways as a bosom-friend, or he who controls the death of others?Believe me that a man devoid of courage andmanhood can never be a passive resister.

This, however, I will admit: that even a manweak in body is capable of offering tl1is resistance.One man can offer it just as well as millions. Botl1men and women can indulge in it. It does notrequire the training of an army; it needs no jiu-jitsu. Control over the IT'ind is alone necessary andwhen tl-lat is attained, man is free like the king oftl1e forest and his very glance wit-hers the enemy.

Passive resistance is an all-sided sword, it canbe used anyhow; it blesses him who uses it and himagainst whom it is used. Witl10ut drawing a dropof blood it produces far-reaching results. It never

rusts and cannot be stolen. Competition betweenpassive resisters does not exhaust. ,The sword ofpassive resistance does not require a scabbard. Itis straIlge indeed that you should consider such aweapon to be a weapon merely of the weak.

fuader: You have said that passive resistance is aspecialty of India. Have cannons never been usedin India?

Editor: Evidently, in your opinion, India meansits few princes. To me it means its teeming millionson whom depends the existence of its princes andour own.

Kings will always use their kingly weapons. Touse force is bred in them. They want to command,but those who have to obey commands do notwant guns: and these are in a majority throughoutthe world. They have to learn either body-force orsoul-force. Where they learn the former, both therulers and the ruled become like so many mad men;but where they learn soul-force, the commandsof the rulers do not go beyond the point of theirswords, for true men disregard unjust commands.Peasants have never been subdued by the sword,and never will be. They do not know the use of thesword, and they are not frightened by the use of itby others. That nation is great which rests its he'hdupon death as its pillow. Those who defy death arefree from all fear. For those who are labouring underthe delusive charms of brute-force, this picture isnot overdrawn. The fact is that, in India, the nationat large has generally used passive resistance in alldepartments of life. We cease to co-operate withour rulers when they displease us. This is passiveresistance.

Hind Swarqj or Indian Home RJtle, chap. xvn

There can be no Satyagraha in an unjustcause. Satyagraha in a just cause is vain, if the menespousing it are not determined and capable offighting and suffering to the end; and the slightestuse of violence often defeats a just cause. Satyagrahaexcludes the use of violence in any shape or form,whether in thought, speech, or deed. Given a justcause, capacity for endless suffering and avoidanceof violence, victory is a certainty.

1£IungIndia, 27-4-'21

/ Satyagraha presupposes self-discipline, self-control, self-purification, and a recognized socialstatus in the person offering it. A Satyagrahi mustnever forget the distinction between evil and theevil-doer. He must not harbour ill-w-illor bitternessagainst the latter. He may not even employ needlesslyoffensive language against the evil person, howeverunrelieved his evil might be. For it should be anarticle of faith with every Satyagrahi that there isnone so fallen in this world but can be convertedby love. A Satyagrahi will always try to overcomeevil by good, anger by love, untruth by truth, himsaby ahimsa. There is no other way of purging theworld of evil. Therefore a person who claims to bea Satyagrahi always tries by close and prayerful self-introspection and self-analysis to find out whetherhe is himself completely free from the taint ofanger, ill-will and such other human infirmities,whether he is not himself capable of those veryevils against which he is out to lead a crusade. Inself-purification and penance lies half the victoryof a Satyagrahi. A Satyagrahi has faith that thesilent and undemonstrative action of truth and loveproduces far more permanent and abiding resultsthan speeches or such other showy performances.

But although Satyagraha can operate silently, itrequires a certain amount of action on the part ofa Satyagrahi. A Satyagrahi, for instance, must firstmobilize public opinion against the evil which he isout to eradicate, by means of a wide and intensiveagitation. When public opinion is sufficientlyroused against a social abuse even the tallest willnot dare to practice or openly to lend support to it.An awakened and intelligent public opinion is themost potent weapon of a Satyagrahi.

YOungIndia, 8-8-'29

"It will be very helpful if you will kindfy guideyour followers about their conduct when thry have toengagein a political controver!y. YOurguidance on thefol101vingpoints is particularfy needed' (a) Vilificationso as to lower the opponent in public estimation; (b)Kind if criticism if the opponentpermissible; (c)Limitto which hostility should be carried; (d) Whether effortshould be made to gain o/Jiceand power. "

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I have said before in these pages that I claim nofollowers. Itis enough forme to be my own follower.h is by itself a sufficiently taxing performance. ButI know tl1atmany claim to be my followers. I musttl1erefore answer ilie questions for ilieir sakes. Ifthey will follow what I endeavour to stand for ratl1erthan me tl1eywill see iliat the following ans'wers arederived from truili and ahimsa.

(a) Vilification of an opponent tl1ere cannever be. But tllls does not exclude a truilifulcharacterization of his acts. An opponent is notalways a bad man because he opposes. He may beas honourable as we may claim to be and yet tl1eremay be vital differences between hin1 and us.

(b) Our criticism will ilierefore be if we believehim to be guilty of untruili to meet it with trUtl1,of discourtesy with courtesy, of bullying \viili calmcourage, of violence wiili suffering, of arrogancewith humility, of evil wiili good. "My follower"would seek not to condemn but to convert.

(c) There is no question of any limit to whichhostility may be carried. For iliere should be nohostility to persons. Hostility there must be to actswhen iliey are subversive of morals or ilie good ofsociety.

(d) Office and power must be avoided. Eithermay be accepted when it is clearly for greaterserVlce.

YOung India, 7-5-'31

A friend writing from America propounds iliefollowing two questions:

1. Granted tbat Saryagraha is capable of winningIndia s independence, wbat are the cbances of its beingaccepted as a principle of State poliry in a .free India?In other words, would a strong and independent IndiarelY on S aryagmha as a method of self-preservation,or JJJouldit lapse back to seeking rifuge in the age-oldinstitution of 2var, bOlvcver defensive its cbaracter? Torestate the question 011 the basis of a purelY tbeoreticproblem: Is S aryagraha likelY to be accepted onlY inan up-bill battle, wben the phenomenon of martyrdom2Sfltll)' ifjectizie, or is it also to be tbe instrument of asovereign autboriry wbich has neitber tbe need nor tbescope of bebaving on tbe principle of martyrdom?

2. Slppose a .Fee India adopts Saryagraba as aninstrument of State poliO' bow would sbe defend berse!!againstprobable aggression l?J anotber sovereign State?To restate the question on tbe basis of apurelY theoretic

problem: What wOIJ1d be the S aryagrahic action-patterns to 17Jeetthe invading amry at the frontier?TJ;7hatkind of resistance can be offered the opponentbifore a commol' aI"ea of action, such as the one nowexisting in India hero/em the Indian nationalists andthe British Govemment, is established? Or sbouldthe Satyagrahis 2lJithhold their action until after theopponent has taken Ol'erthe country?

The questions are admittedly theoretical. Theyare also premature for the reason that I have notmastered ilie whole technique of non-violence.The experiment is still in d1e making. It is not evenin its advanced stage. The nature of ilie experimentrequires one to be satisfied witl, one step at a time.The distant scene is not for him to see. Therefore,m/answers can only be speculative.

In truili, as I have said before, now we are nothaving unadulterated non-violence even in ourstruggle to win independence.

As to ilie first question, I fear iliat the chancesof non-violence being accepted as a principle ofState policy are very slight, so far as I can see atpresent. If India does not accept non-violence asher policy after winning independence, the secondquestion becomes superfluous.

But I may state my own individual view ofthe potency of non-violence. I believe iliat a Statecan be administered on a non-violent basis if tl1evast majority of the people are non-violent. So faras I know, India is ilie only country which has apossibility of being such a State. I am conductingmy experiment in iliat faitl1. Supposing, therefore,iliat India attained independence wough purenon-violence, India could retain it too by ilie samemeans. A non-violent man or society does notanticipate or provide for attacks from wiiliout.On ilie contrary, such a person or society firmlybelieves iliat nobody is going to disturb them. Ifthe worst happens, there are two ways open tonon-violence. To yield possession but non-co-operate witl, the aggressor. Thus, supposing tl,at amodern edition of Nero descended upon India, therepresentatives of the State \villiet him in but tell

hin1 that he will get no assistance from the people.They will prefer death to submission. The secondway would be non-violent resistance by the peoplewho have been trained in the non-violent way. Theywould offer themselves unarmed as fodder for theaggressor's cannon. The underlying belief in eithercase is that even a Nero is not devoid of a heart.The unexpected spectacle of endless rows uponrows of men and women simply dying rather thansurrender to the will of an aggressor must ultin1atelymelt him and his soldiery. Practically speakingthere will be probably no greater loss in men thanif forcible resistance was offered; there will be noexpenditure in armaments and fortifications. Thenon-violent training received by the people willadd inconceivably to their moral height. Such menand women will have shown personal bravery of atype far superior to that shown in armed warfare.In each case the bravery consists in dying, not inkilling. Lastly, there is no such thing as defeat innon--violent resistance. That such a thing has nothappened before is no answer to my speculation. Ihave drawn no possible picture. History is repletewith instances of individual non-violence of thetype I have mentioned. There is no warra....t Jorsaying or thinking that a group of men and wo~encannot by sufficient training act non-violently asa group or nation. Indeed the sum total of theexperience of mankind is that men somehow orother live on. From which fact I infer that it is thelaw of love that rules mankind. Had violence, i.e.hate, ruled us, we should have become extinct longago. And yet the tragedy of it is that the so-calledcivilized men and nations conduct themselves asif the basis of society was violence. It gives meineffable joy to make experiments proving that loveis the supreme and only law of life. Much evidenceto the contrary cannot shake my faith. Even themixed non-violence of India has supported it. Butif it is not enough to convince an unbeliever, it isenough to incline a friendly critic to view it withfavour.

Harijan,13-4-'40

Wren, 1. Thomas. The Leader's Companion - Insi~htson Leadership Throu~h the Ages. © 1995 by J. ThomasWren. Reprinted by permission of The Free Press, aDivision of Simon & Schuster, Inc. NY.

t, A leader has High Ethics: Building Trust with Yo r followers"

~, Bethel asserts that 'We Ca...lllotlegislate orlitigate ethics." Do you agree?

What are the factors that influence ethicaldecisions?

"Etbics is tbe mail1taining of life at tbe higbest POi11tofdevelopment. "

Legend says that when young GeorgeWashington was asked who cut down the cherrytree, he replied, "I cannot tell a lie." Our firstpresident has become a folk hero reflecting manyof our shared values, especially high ethics. I believepeople still want to identify with Washington'sphilosophy of honesty and his strong sense of rightand wrong, his personal integrity, and his rejectionof deception, artificiality, and shallowness. Highethics are still valued by people across all of oursocial, economic, and political spectrums. Peoplestill look for high ethical standards in their leaders.And leaders need strong ethics to guide them intheir actions and decisions.

What are Ethics?If you make a list of words related to ethics,

it would include morals, integrity, honesty,values, trust, duty, virtue, truth, decency, courage,prudence, loyalty, honor, goodness, fidelity, andconscience. Most of us would agree that thesewords are desCli.ptive and appropriate, but they

do not comprise a definition. We need a workingdef1n.ition of ethics to guide us and help us inmaking a difference.

First, ethics are not morals. They are anoutgrowtb of morality. Ethics represent actions basedon a concept of right and wrong. If this seems toofine a distinction, let's look to some definitions thatmay help.

Morals: A personal philosophy based on the~abilityto know right from wrong. Wllat we believeabout right and wrong affects our thinking andshapes our character traits. Morals are apbilosop!?)I.

Ethics: High standards of honest and honorabledealings based on our morals. Ethics are a set ofbasic working tenets for life and business. How weact and what we do, our methods of functioning,and how we apply our morals is our ethical behavior.Ethics are application.

The stronger our ethical behavior, the betterleaders we become. As Harry J. Gray, chairmanof United Technologies said ... 'Hou} we peiform asindividuals determines hOJ1Jwe peifonn as a nation. "

There are unethical people in business. Butwe can't condemn all businesses for those whoseunethical behavior makes headlines. We have manyoutstanding leaders in businesses larg~ and small.H. J. Gray is one. John Akers, chairman of IBM, isanother highly ethical leader. He spoke to the BayArea Council in San Francisco and included somepowerful comments on ethics. He said:

Like you, I've been reading a lot about ethics in theneJVS recentb'. Tbough ethics is forever its own reward foreacb individua4 etbics is a crucial force in our strengtbas a nation. And I especial!J ifldude our economic andcompetitive strengtb.

TJ..7ecompete as a socie!J. And you can't have a goodsociety ]Pith eZJeryonestabbing everyone else in the back, with

everyo11etrying to steal jrom everyone else, with everythingrequiring nOtarized confirmation in writing becauseyou can'ttrust the other ]ellotv, tvith every little squabble ending inlitigation, and tvith Congress writing more and more pagesof regulatory legislation to tie American bUJ7nesshand and

foot to keep it homst. That~ a recipe not onfyfor headachesin running one~ compat!J; it is a recipe for a tvastejul,inefficient, noncompetitive society.

I don't think the s~ is jailing. I don't think tve hada great ethical height in the good old dL!Jsfrom which we'vebeen tumbling downhill. But when all is said and done, Iagree with Thomas Jefferson who said, '!All httman beingsare endowed with a moral sense. J) The averagejarmer behinda plow can decide a moral question as tvell as a ttniversiryprofessor. I have confidence in the person on the street Butthat common moral sense doesn't come out of nowhere. Wemust consciousfy and vigorousfy work at fortifying our ethicalbuttresses.

Each of us has a personal responsibilityfor ethical behavior. As Mr. Akers says, we mustconsciously work at it. When we do, we set aninfluential example for others. One person's highethics do make a difference.

The Ethics ScaleEthics are generally measured by sertin~t up

two extremes at opposite ends of a scale. Oneend of the scale is the concept of absolute right,whether it be defined by religion or law: The otherend of the scale rejects the idea that anything isinherently right or wrong. The philosophy is, "If itworks, it's okay," "If it feels good, do it." Becauseof the distance between these two extremes, ethicscan never be reduced to an indisputable formula.Ethics remain emotional and spiritual as well asintellectual. We are forced to live with this irritatingand intriguing paradox because to live otherwisewould be chaos.

Nevertheless, societies create general rules ofconduct to guarantee their own survival. The rulesestablished by our forefathers and still agreed uponby most of us are what protect us from anarchy,leaving us free to advance without having to decidethe same issues over and over again. SomersetMaugham said, "The great truths are too important

. to be new:" In our Judeo-Christian society we havemany truths that have served us well for generations.Even though we may have lost sight of some of

them, they are still there, waiting to be rekindled bypeople like you who want to make a difference.

Setting An ExampleIf we are going to lead, we need strong ethics

for two reasons: to guide ourselves and to setexamples for others. When we have strong ethicalvalues, we raise the level of conduct and aspirationfor both ourselves and our followers. As leaderswe perform three important functions:

1. We constantly define and communicate ethicalbehavior in our words and actions.

2. We translate that definition into a workingpremise tl1.ateveryone understands. When wedo that effectively, we build trust andcohesiveness in our organization.

3. We resolve ethical conflicts that arise. Whenwe do, we strengthen the foundation of ourorganization.

The leader with consistently high ethics fulfillsthese functions and becomes an inspiration foreveryone. Problems occur when ethical behavior isnot clearly defined, understood, or demonstrated.

Situational EthicsEach of us makes daily decisions about our

ethical behavior in various situations. This issituational ethics. Since we are not perfect, we rarelyoperate consistently at the highest ethical level.Instead, the best we can do is to try to develop the·wisdom and judgment to get as close to perfectionas possible. For example, absolute honesty meansnever lying. That sounds like a good idea. But allof us have told "white lies" to keep from hurtingsomeone's feelings.

Remember the last time a friend asked if youliked a new outfit? If you didn't, there was littlepoint in saying so. If you found a neutral commentthat was appropriate but did not tell the absolutetruth, were you unethical? Most of us wouldanswer "no." So we use our experience (wisdomand judgment) and our conscience (moral characterand integrity) to tell us how far we can stray fromabsolute honesty without compromising our ethicsand our integrity.

If something is ethically or morally repugnanton a personal scale, it is equally repugnant in our

jobs and professions. In both areas a leader sets thestandards, tries to live by them, and cOlTh.-numcatesthe same expectations to others.

The Power Of TrustManagement expert Peter Drucker said, «The

leader's first task is to be the trumpet that soundsa clear sound." With every example of high ethicsand integrity, we send a «clear sound" to others. Itbuilds trust and loyalty which are at the base of alleffective relationships.

When standards and performance do notmatch, when they do not send a clear sound, welack authenticity, confuse our followers, and set badexamples. Our people must be able to trust us orthe consequences can be detrimental, not only toprofits or success, but to attitudes and actions. Ifyou are a leader who combines high ethics 'with agenuine concern for others, personal competence,and fairness in the exercise of power, you "rillinspire trust. Without trust, the contract betweenyou and your followers collapses. Your ability tomake a difference will be greatly diminished.

A Leader Builds Trust and LoyaltyBarabara Smith Nivala lives and works in

Phoenix, Arizona. She is executive vice presidentof the National Speakers Association and has astaff of nine. Barbara is a fine example of a leaderwho produces excellent results through high ethicsand service to her people. Her understanding ofthe importance of trust and loyalty is at the heartof her effectiveness. She delegates effectively byletting people know that they are accountable andthat she trusts them to do their best. They knowthat she will support them with the members ofthe association and the board of directors, whenthey need it. She praises freely and never criticizessomeone in public. Directing an association of over3,000 very independent members can be stressfulat times. But Barbara knows that she must keepthe stress to a workable level. Her staff know tl1eycan trust her not to let tl1:ingsget out .of hand. Sheplans well and asks others to do tl1e same in orderto avoid fire-fighting situations. She is a leader whomakes a difference by quietly and patiently buildingtrust and loyalty in her people by being trustw-orthyand loyal to them.

Who [sic] Can We Look Up To?In this age of ethical controversy, it would be

easy for us to become cynical, to lose our faith ineach other. We all need heroes and people witl1high ideals to inspire us. If we were sitting togethernow, I'm sure you could tell me some inspiringstories of people you know whom I could look upto. I have one to tell you about.

We've all read about medical scams and theunethical behavior of a few doctors. It is unfairto judge the many fine and dedicated men andwomen in the medical profession by tl1e few whoare unethical. Here is an example of one of theirfinest.

C. Everett Koop - Surgeon GeneralOne doctor who has been called many things,

but never unetlucal, is Dr. C. Everett Koop whoserved as surgeon general during the Reaganadministration. Despite the unpopularity of someof'his directives, he has become a folk hero and anexample of someone who does not abandon beliefsto political expediency. Indeed, many of his healthdirectives were in direct opposition to governmentpolicies: He declared nicotine an addictive drugand spoke out against tobacco subsidies andadministration-backed tobacco exports to Third-\Vorld countries; he suggested exploring free-needle programs for drug addicts to prevent thespread of AIDS. When Koop was appointed in1981, over liberal objections to his personal viewson abortion (he was against it) and conservativeobjections to Ius personal views on sex education(he was for it), tl1e office of surgeon general was aposition with little power, no budget, and no staff.Through strong personal leaderslup, Koop turnedthe office from a rubber'stamp of admi.nlstrationpositions to a powerful advocate for the health ofa nation that shaped public health policy on issuesfrom organ transplants to clUld abuse.

A deeply religious man, Koop's personal viewson homosexuality ("antifamily") did not keep himfrom seeing tl1e AIDS virus as a health issue, nota moral one. US. NelN & f,T7orldReport told thestory of Koop's sitting by the bedside of a youngman dying of AIDS. A compassionate man,'Koopdecided t..hatwhen someone is dying, life-styles areirrelevant "I am surgeon general of all the people."

Despite vigorous opposition, he printed 107 millionAIDS information booklets and se~t them to everyhome in America, so that people would know howto protect themselves from the deadly epidemic.

Koop invested his job with a moral mission,"to espouse the cause of those who lack justice."During his twelve-hour days and seven-day workweeks, septuagenarian Koop advocated the medicalrights of handicapped babies, bans on smoking inpublic places, the reduction of violence on 1V(network executives, he says, are "caught betweentheir conscience and their pocketbooks"), organ-donor programs, condoms, and sex educationabout AIDS, "starting at the lowest grade possible:'He has opposed mandatory AIDS testing andeuthanasia. Of his ability to survive in Washington,D.c., without resorting to political solutions formedical and social problems, he said: "I have asense of right and wrong. A lot of other people inthis town don't have that."

You don't have to agree with Surgeon GeneralKoop's views to appreciate his legacy of high ethicsand his example of sensitive, powerful leadership.

ResponsibilityThere was a time when our ethical standafds

were formed at home. But with so much ofour population in the work force, leaders in alloccupations and professions have more moraland ethical responsibility than ever before. Ouroccupational leaders must have the courage to speakout for ethical behavior and justice. "Justice is truthin action," said Benjamin Disraeli. Indifference orsilence to unethical behavior demoralizes people,destroys organizations, and strangles our nation.

In these days of mergers, acquisitions, andcorporate takeovers, we read and hear so much aboutunethical behavior. It exists on an alarming scale.It makes headlines that sell newspapers and boostnewscast ratings. But this sensational unethicalbehavior is not the norm. There are hundredsand thousands of ethical business transactionsconducted every day by ethical men and women. Wemust be sure that we do not become desensitizedto unethical behavior because we see and hear somuch about it. If we become indifferent or remainsilent, we will destroy our freedoms.

"Freedom comes from human beings, rather

than from laws and institutions," said ClarenceDarrow: We cannot legislate or litigate ethics. Wemust live them. If we are going to make a difference,it is critical that we set the example of high ethicsfor others to follow:

The Right Motives or The Right Moves?A young executive recently said to me, "How

can I worry about ethics when we are involvedin a hostile takeover and we're fighting for ourexistence?"

My answer was, '<You don't have to put ethicson the shelf while doing corporate battle. Withoutethics, even if you win, you lose." Every time wesay or do something unethical we chip away at thefoundation of our moral character. The more weare unethical, the easier it becomes. We diminishourselves and our ability to make a difference.

The vast majority of successful businesses arebased on ethical behavior and standards. When Idiscussed ethics with Bill Weisz, vice chairman ofMotorola, Bill said, "Ethics is the most importantleadership quality because you have to have that toplay in the game at all. Honesty and integrity arerequired of everyone in a business or a company,but most especially the leaders. After that, the other[leadership qualities] become critical. But firsteveryone in the system must have high standards."

All organizations have rules and regulations bywhich they operate, but our policy manuals aloneare insufficient and imperfect decision-makingtools. They're effective only when we use them incombination with ethical judgment.

An Ethical BusinessJudgmentYou have just finished a lovely cruise. You have

disembarked in Miami and are ready to fly home.Unfortunately, the airline you planned to fly homeon has gone on strike and your cruise line leavesyou to solve the problem. You're pretty upset. Youhave the right to expect the cruise line to help.

That's exactly what happened when EasternAirlines went on strike, stranding hundreds ofcruise line passengers returning from cruisesoriginating in Miami.

If you had cruised on Royal Viking Line orNorwegian Cruise line, your expectations ofassistance would not have been disappointed (as

they were for hurl<:lreds of passengers on otherlines). Kloster Cruise Line, the travel arm for RoyalViking and Norwegian, jumped in and in one dayrebooked 350 outbound (disembarking) and 350inbound (arriving) passengers. Those disembarkingin Miami were put on a bus and taken to a nearbyhotel ballroom where each person was reissued anairline ticket to their home. The team spirit of theKloster staff infected the passengers. They werepatient and cooperative and very appreciative ofthe service t..'-leywere receiving. Kloster said "it wasour job to take away the fear of our passengers."

While this is certaiPly a story of excellentcustomer service, good public relations, teamwork,sensitivity, and many other qualities you'd expect ina leading cruise line, it is also an excellent exampleof high-ethical business practice. Whatever it costKloster, Royal Viking, and Norwegian, they willreceive much more in return from the goodwillgenerated.

High ethics can be demonstrated in many waysand the R.o.I. (return on investment) is not alwaysmeasured in terms of money. The long-terminvestment in high ethics builds and reinforces thefoundation on which an organization is built.

An Entrepreneur with EthicsThe first time I met Sybil Ferguson, the founder

of Diet Center, Inc., I was prepared to meet a guru.The head of organizations that deal with personalbetterment often are gurus. I was invited to givethe keynote speech at the Diet Center's nationalconvention. There were nearly 1,000 Diet Centerstaff in attendance, and many were having theirpicture taken with Sybil. It was obvious they alladmired her tremendously.

When I had a chance to sit and talk with her,I was delightfully surprised to meet a very warm,humble, and down-to-earth lady. Sybil and I talkedabout her business and personal philosophies. Iasked her how she would rank the twelve qualitiesof leadership. "Ethics," she told me, "is numberone, because to be honest, ethical, and true to yourword is essential. Your business is no stronger thapthe leadershjp at the top. Ethics exemplifY whatyou stand for a.LJ.dwhat you are. Without that, youhave no leadership qualities. You can't bluff peoplefor long. If you want to go for the long term, youmust be ethical."

Profit Motive and Social ResponsibilityI'm sure you'd agree that the prime purpose

of business is to make a profit. But when profitsbecome the only measure of success, we havelost sight of our shared values. When unethicalbusiness practices create unfair situations that gobeyond a healthy competitive environment, we arein deep trouble. We have very serious economicmonsters looming in our future. National debtand trade deficits top the list. When we read aboutthese huge economic problems our eyes tend toglaze over. We lose sight of what they really mean.It is hard to i..-nagine a billion or trillion dollars.We cannot lose sight of the fact that people areinvolved in these economics. Economic problemsare human problems, and so human values must beapplied to their solutions. These human values andsolutions come from you and me. Our economicproblems will affect your son or daughter's hopesof going to college and someday buying a home.Th'ey affect my eighty-one-year-old mother's rightto health care. Numbers are not just figures on apage; they are people!

The good news is d1at profit motive andsocial responsibility can coexist and prosperwhen we operate wid1 high ethical standards andcompasslOn.

No one ever said that being ethical is easy.Living a life of high ethics is hard. Circumstancespull at us every day, urging us to take the easy wayout, to twist something just a little or close our eyesfor just a second. Unethical actions are committedall around us every day. We can see d1em, identifYthem, and make decisions and judgments aboutthem. Saying and doingnothing-acts of omission- can be just as uneducal as the committed act,and often much more destructive. The distinctionbernreen what is illegal and what is unethical hasbecome blurred.

Mervin Morris' founded d1e national chain ofdepartment stores, MERVYN'S. He is a highlyetlucal man and is a distinguished leader in the retailindustry. \"XlhenI asked lum what he tl10ught werethe most u'nportant qtialities of a leader, he said,"I don't think that one can truthfully say there is asingle most i..-nportant quality, but I will refer to twotlnt are so often lacking." (His second referencewas a lack of listening ... )

Mr. Morris referred to the surprising lack of ethicsand what greed can do to a persol1. Wl'eall knowsome very prominent and successful leaders who arenot too meticulous when it comes to ethics. It isamazing how bright thf!Y are in some are~ how thf!Ycan motivate people, but are still motivated l!Jgreedthemselves. Greed does have a wqy of blurring andmakingjuziY one's ethics.We live in a world with more and more gray

areas. Abortion and euthanasia are perfect examplesof the blurring of what's legal and what's ethical.Abortion and euthanasia are legal in may parts ofthe world. But it's not that simple. Both issuesinvolve ethics, too. There are strong arguments onboth sides. How do you feel about them? Are yousure you are right in your opinions? Can anyone becompletely sure that [her] stand is correct? Correctfor whom? According to what standards?

To make a difference we must take a stand ondifficult, complex issues. We can't lead if we arewishy-washy and indecisive. That doesn't meanwe should never change our minds or that weshouldn't be open to new arguments (if for noother reason than to test our principles). You andI may have completely different views, but we can'tlet that stand in the way of respecting each oilier'sdifferences. We can't be judgmental or we ceaseto lead, and without followers we are alone in oureffort to make a difference.

Defining Personal EthicsMost of us would say that we are ethical. If

I questioned your ethics, you might take offenseand you would certainly be willing to defend yourposition or actions. But both of us can benefitfrom examining our personal standards of conduct- our ethics. We must have the courage to turnthe spotlight on our actions, habits, and examplesif we are to be leaders who can make a difference.

SpotlightWhat IS your oprmon of the following

scenario?You become sexually involved with someone

other than your marriage partner. It happened onlyonce and you deeply regret your actions. You vownever to be unfaithful again. You decide not totell your partner because you are positive it would

damage or destroy the relationship. Since you willnever again be unfaithful, you decide silence is best.You regard your actions as a sin and plan to atone.

Is your silence right or wrong? If you confessedand the marriage broke up, would your honestyhave served any purpose?

When a serious mistake such as in:6delityhas occurred and is not admitted, does this makeit easier to repeat the activity? Can a long-termrelationship survive the strain of such a secret?

Ethical dilemmas like this one can produce asmany opinions as there are respondents. As leaders,we know that personal ethics are the foundation ofour relationship to the rest of society. That's whywe begin by being honest with ourselves, by askinguncomfortable questions, and then by examiningour answers closely.

Here are some other ethical problems to consider:•• After a delay of many months, you are :finally

reimbursed for some medical expenses by aninsurance company. A few days later you getanother check for the same amount from adifferent insurance company. You really needthe money and are furious over the red tapethat led to the delay. What do you do?

" You are sitting at the dinner table with yourchildren. You and your spouse are exchanginglively stories about a friend or coworker. Thechildren hear the discussion, the excitinghalf-truths, exaggerations, and humorouscomments. You regard this as sophisticated,socially acceptable banter. Do you then tellyour children never to gossip or lie aboutothers? How do you explain the difference tothem?

•• You get an extra ten dollars in change at acheckout stand. You notice it and your friendwho is with you notices, too. Do you returnthe money or keep it? Would your actions bedifferent if your friend was not there? If theamount was just a dollar? What about $100?Would it make a difference if the clerk hadbeen insulting? If the items you bought werehighly overpriced? Or if you had tom yourjacket on a nail sticking out from the counter?What justifications would you use if you keptthe money?

One of your employees comes to you andconfesses stealing money from the company.He has a moving story of personal problemsand offers to repay the money. He begs foranother chance. Other employees know aboutthe situation. Do you turn him over to thepolice so that he can be punished? Or simplyfire him? Or allow hh-n to stay on in anotherdepartment where he won't handle money? Orlet him keep his job where he still has access tocompany funds? If you don't take legal action,what message does this give to your otheremployees? Will it strengthen or weaken officemorale and discipline? What will your futurerelationship "lith the culprit be? (Reread theabove story, substitulliJg "she" for "he" andsee if your response would be any different.)A real story from the front page of the SanFrancisco Chronicle: The back door of anarmored truck comes open, dumping bundlesof cash all over a busy street. The truck drivesoff, the driver is unaware of what had happened,and dozens of citizens stop their cars or runfrom the sidewalk to chase the wind-blownmoney. Some stuff their pockets and flee.Others round up the money and guard it untilthe police come. What would you have done?Would you have to think about it very long?The culmination of a cherished project hasbeen reached. You have just been introducedto a very important person who has generouslyoffered to help you achieve your goal. Duringthe next hour he makes numerous obscenejokes about various religions and races. Youfind these crude jokes extremely offensiveand would never tolerate them in differentsituation. Do you remain silent, thankful forthe help you are receiving? Is your discomfortbalanced by the future success of your projectand what it will mean to others? Or do youbecome outraged and leave? Or try to remaincalm while you tell him that you find thejokes offensive? What if he laughs at you andincreases his diatribe to needle you? What if hethrows you out and refuses to work ~th you?Many of our ethical decisions are easy andautomatic. Others are iIltensely complex and

pai..J.ful. As leaders, we face both kinds everyday, and how we deal ~th them reveals thequality of our leadership.

When expediency, comfort, social customs, oreveryday practicality seem to confuse the issue ofintegrity, ask yourself; Am I proud of this action?Would I want my children, parents, or friends tosee this written on the front page of the paper? Isthis the kind of example I want my followers to liveby? Defining personal ethics can be difficult. Butwe can make bigger contributions and be betterleaders when we have the courage to tackle thisIssue.

Business EthicsHow can a nation that prides itself on free

enterprise, creativity, and business savvy survivewhen business ethics are inconsistent with rightand wrong? The answer is, it can't. Businesses andnatiotls are both made up of individuals who mustshare rules about living and doing business.

Peter Drucker, the father of modemmanagement, warns, "Executives cannot use'business ethics' as a defense for acts that would becondemned if committed by anyone else."

"Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's ethical"has become a common expression today. Thereshouldn't be a difference between what is legal andwhat is ethical. But there is.

In a competitive market, doing business ofteninvolves beating out the other guy, getting the bestof a deal, turning $1 million into $5 million. In thisadversarial climate, clear definitions of ethics canbe difficult. How do you know whether an actionis brilliant tactics or unscrupulous double-dealing?

One way is to ask yourself if this action riughtharm an individual or business. If a group of yourpeers got together, would what you are doing beviewed as ethical? Would your opposition viewit as ethical? Would your action reflect a goodcompetitive spirit? How would you feel if someonewas doing to you what you have done to them?

Questionable EthicsToday, in the face of massive medical

evidence, tobacco and chemical companies still

vigorously deny that u.~dr products can causeillness. Manufacturers decide th~t it is cheaperto pay fines for polluting our air and water thanto invest in non-polluting equipment. Tobaccocompanies and advertising companies seduceyoung people and unsophisticated or uneducatedpeople by creating ads depicting smokers as sexy,sophisticated, and successful. Where do ethics andsocial responsibility come in? Are the ads just goodbusiness, or is the advertising dangerous mentaland emotional manipulation for profit?

Recently I found a magazine advertisementaimed at the upwardly mobile career professional.The ad, for a well-known hotel, read:

One ]Vq)Ito get aJVq)Ifrom the office during the week:Lie.

Sure, honesty is the best poliry, but there is an exception:a midweek getaJvay to ...

How would you feel, as an employer, if yourpeople lied to you so they could spend time atthis hotel? How would you feel about a hotel thaturged your employees to lie? Does such an adcontribute to unethical behavior? When is it ethicalto lie, cheat, or steal? And what responsibilitY dothe hotel and advertising agency that created the adhave to our national ethical climate?

When I first saw this ad, I got angry. I gavemyself a few days to cool off and think it over,but my reactions didn't change. That week I wasconducting a leadership seminar for a group ofmiddle and upper management. It included a sectionon ethics. I handed out copies of the ad withoutcomment, then opened the floor for discussion.

At first there was silence while everyone readthe ad. Then there was a different kind of silence,filled with understanding nods. The majority of thepeople saw what I saw and expressed their concernfor the reaction that the public might have to thead. A few felt the readers were responsible formaking their own decisions, and that the hotel andadvertising agency had no ethical responsibility. Afew were torn between the two opposing views.How do you feel?

After the seminar I contacted the hotel'sgeneral manager and the owner of the advertising

agency, passing on my i..-npressions and those ofthe people in the seminar - who were the kind ofpeople at whom the ad was aimed. We discussedethical responsibility and the implications of thead. The hotel manager said he couldn't believeanyone would take the ad literally. The presidentof the advertising agency said he thought the adwas clever and he saw no harm it. Each promisedto consider my input. I asked them to let me knowwhat conclusion they came to. While both werewilling to listen to me, neither called me back.What's your opinion?

Here are some other examples to consider:o A major U.S. baby food company admits that

its "100% pure apple juice" is just colored sugarwater with a small quantity of apple flavoring.

o Substandard "counterfeits" are sold as high-testmetal bolts and used to build aircraft, creatingthe potential for massive loss of life.

G Discount stores offer inferior merchandisestamped with the brand names of qualityproducts.

G A new tranquilizer is implicated in thedeaths of over a hundred hospital patients; arepresentative of the drug company jokes thatthey had expected to make $40 million withthe new product, "but if we had known howpotent it was, we would have projected $80million."

Where do you stand on ethics in exampleslike these? A tougher question is, can you and I doanything to affect these situations? I believe wedo make a difference when we speak up or take astand. Here's how:

First: by making sure that our ethics are not inquestion.

Second: by involving our followers indiscussions to increase their awareness of incidentslike these so that we can raise their standards andexpectations.

Third: by setting the example of taking thesmall but powerful step of writing a letter to theoffending company and sending a copy to theeditorial section of your local paper.

John Akers concluded his cornrnents to theBay Area Council by saying,

Among the ethical buttresses, there are business codesoj conduct like those marry oj us have long had in ourcompanies, which spell out strict policies all suc/; things asinsider trading, gifts and entertainment, kickbacks, andconflicts oj interest.

Last is to keep our sense if order straight-put firstthings first. U:7eveall heard short-sighted people attlibutea quote to Vince Lombardi: "U:7inning is not the mostimportant thing; it's the oniJ' thing.)) lI:7el4that's agood quote

for filing up the team, but as an overreachingphilosopl?J it'sjust balon~. I much prifer another Lombardi qttote. Heexpected his plqyers, he said, "to have three kinds oj l'!Jal!),:to God, to their families, and to the Green Bqy Packers. Inthat order. ))

Lombardi kne1v - and you and I know - that somethings count more than others. All if us are proud oj ourcompanies, but the good oj our entire society here in the U.S.transcends that if arry single corporation. The moral orderif the world transcends arry single nation-state. And youcan't be a good business person - or good doctor or laU:Jeror engineer- without ajust understanding if the place ifbusiness in the greater scheme if things.

1j lve concentrate on these ethical issues, I believe we YIcontlibute to our country's strmgth, heighten its capacity forleadership in an increasinM competitizle world, and keep iton the right track as it closes out this century and enters thetuJentyjirst century.

Can you imagine the impact we could have ifeach person who reads this book would do twothings:1. Write a letter on behalf of high ethics.2. Ask one other person to do the same thing.

That's grass-roots leadership. That's how wemake a difference.

Teaching Our YouthMy heart jumps with pride as I watch our young

Olympic athletes competing. I get a lump in mythroat and a tear sneaks down my cheek when theystand on the platform to accept their medals. Withhand over heart, they stand so proud and tall, singingour national anthem. Did the same people whotaught them to compete also teach them that theydon't need drugs, TV contracts, and kickbacks fromequipment manufacturers to succeed? I hope so!

What are our yOlliJ.gpeople to believe when theyare exposed to events that highlight an alarminglack of ethics in every sector of our society? Wehave created educational curricula that are ethicallydeficient, and we are seeing the harmful results.Students in business schools and law schools arebeing taught that "situational ethics" means solvingproblems on a pragmatic instead of ethical basis.They :u:e learning to be financial and businesssurvivalists, to be shrewd and manipulative in-fighte:rs. If "thou shalt not kill" does not applyin the heat of battle, why should "thou shalt notsteal" apply in the heat of business competition?"Careerism" now dominates the balance betweenpersonal success, financial success, and socialresponSlDility.

IBM's Chairman, John Akers, also had somepowerful comments about this issue.

we· learn first frol11 our parents and others 11Jho,ryprecept ami example, set us straight on good and evi4 rightantf'wrong. Role models are a megor force in our concept ifethics.

We must reinvigorate our children's stuefy oj the past.We must take a hard look at ethical teaching in our schools.And it begins at the lowest leve4 not graduate scho04 becauseit's too fate then. The place to start is kindergarten. Start nitha clear-cut stuefy oj the past, beca,,fse our ethical standardscome out oj our past, out oj our cultural inheritance as apeople - religious, philosophica4 histoncal. The more weknow if the past, the more surefootediJ' we can inculcateethical conduct in thefuture.

There is the honor !)lstem lve live with every dqy. Itis college student.r policing themselves - no plagiarism, nocheating on examinations. It's dowmight ludicrous thatdivinity schools, law schools, and departments if philosopl?J- plus all the other parts if the university - have topay proctors to pad up and down the aisles at exam time tomake sure noboefy is looking at crib notes or copyingfrom aneighbor. We can do better than that.

Mr. Akers is right! \We can do better thanthat. When I work with educators and schooladministrators, I am always impressed by thepower they have over our lives. If we make qualityeducation a national priority and give educators ourcommitment, our expectations, and our resources,we will be living in a wonderful world in the tWenty-first centmy. If not, our standard of living will

drop, our productivity will plummet, and we willpay a heavy price. Ethics is at the heart of this issue.If we wait until graduate school to teach ethics, it'stoo late. First-graders can learn about ethics. Ifyou have ever had a child in first grade, you knowthat seven-year-olds can understand the differencebetween right and wrong. And they look to rolemodels to reinforce that understanding.

A Jew years ago, sports figures ranked withmovie stars as national heroes. Babe Ruth and BabeDidrikson,Joe DiMaggio and Joe Louis, Ty Cobb andWilma Rudolph were names that made us all stand alitde taller, feel a little better about being Americansand members of the human race. Their victoriesbecame our own. Unfortunately, to day's childrenhave some new role models, sports figures withthe maturity of sulky three-yeat;-olds, the mannersof alley cats, and the greed of Midas. Giving one'sopponent a concussion rates cheers from the crowdand a few minutes in the penalty box or a slap-on-the-wrist fine. The term "good sportsmanship" hasnearly disappeared from our vocabulary. We aremaking it impossible for the next generation to tellthe difference between leaders and self-indulgentprima donnas.

How can we counteract these bad examples? Ithink we have to become activists. When we workwith children, we can discuss good and bad behavior.We can give them some guidelines for an ethical life,not just for winning. America is so consumed withwinning and success that each of us can make adifference just by reinforcing the value of balance inour children's lives. Of course that assumes that wehave balance in our views of success and winning.We can also let the owners, coaches, and athletesknow what we think of their bad behavior and theeffect it has on our young people. This may soundlike a lot of work, and it is. Fighting for your beliefsand values is never easy, but I've learned one thing inmy fifty years and that is it is alJvtrys worth the effort, andit does make a difference.

In the past we have permitted this insidiousmoral climate to go unchallenged. Now we musttake responsibility for ending it. Education,advertising, corporate policy, civil law, and religioustenets all need to be re-examined and updated bycourageous leaders who are willing to tackle tough orunpopular issues. You and I can make a difference

~y questioning those things that do not seem ethical,by speaking up and letting our views be k110wn.

I am happy to report that when I work withyouth groups and we discuss ethics, they ask excellentquestions that really keep me on my toes. Forexample, I was working with a group of high schoolseniors and we were discussing the topic of ethicsand business. I gave them several scenarios, suchas the recent irlsider-trading scandals. While they alladmitted that they couldn't completely understandthe technicalities and the complications of business,it was refreshing to hear them talk about theimportance of ethical behavior even in the face ofmajor temptations like profits. These bright youngpeople have yet to be tested, but it was reassuring tosee their level of awareness.

Political EthicsWe've been calling ourselves Americans for over

two hundred years. We've been rightfully proud ofour republic. But if America is to survive the nexttwo hundred years, we must maintain strong politicaland social ethics.

We can refuse to tolerate officials at any levelwho believe they are above the law. We are a nationof laws that govern every citizen, including the menand women who serve us politically. Unless we insiston high ethics from our officials, we are not living upto our own ethical responsibilities.

We Americans have always had a soft spot forthe "clever scoundrels" of our past. But confusingthe mythical past and reality is dangerous. RichardNixon might have gone down in history as one ofour great presidents because of his important foreignpolicy. Re-establishing relations and trade with Chinawas one of his most brilliant accomplishments. ButNixon overstepped his power. His arrogance, hisbelief that he was above the law, led him to lie. Hewould probably have survived the Watergate scandalif he had admitted his guilt and asked for forgiveness.We are a magnanimous people and like to forgiverepentant people. But he did more than lie. Hescoffed at us. That arrogance, what the Greeks calledhubris, was his downfall. He stepped way over theethical line. His conspiracy theory of government,so prevalent elsewhere in the world, appealed to fewAmericans.

':II1!JIT,i,.

Courage To Put Ethics FirstNot making waves, doing the easiest thing,

is often the safest activity. It has at various timesled to feeding traitorous Christians to the lions,burning heretical astronomers at the stake, andlyncllli'1gintegrationist civil-rights workers. In eachexample, the political, religious, or social order wasseriously threatened.

WIllie the need for order, consistency, andcontinuity is in1portant, we need the courage toput ethics first. Albert Einstein said, "Never doanything against conscience even if the statedemands it." The excuse that "it was orders" or"that everyone else was doing it" can no longer beaccepted.

Great leaders have often been extremists insome sense, and their vision makes them disruptiveto the established order of things. The men andwomen who put their lives on d1e line to bringabout social change - the end of slavery, therecognition of unions, women's right to vote, d1eend of segregation, and nuclear disarmament -are good examples of people who put ethics first.You and I can make a difference by not allowing ourminds to be closed or to fall victim to the statusquo. We can keep an open mind to changes andissues that may at first appear extreme. We mustbe courageous in our educs regarding political andsocial concerns.

Ethical Decisions Of The FutureThe best way to have an etlucal future is to

prepare for it now; Dr. Gregory Stock wrote a littlebook called The Book of Qttestions. Each page askstwo or three questions to stimulate your thinking,many of tl1em about etlucs. The next time youhave a group of followers or friends togetl1er, tryusing tlus book to stimulate ethical tlunking. Iguarantee you'll have some interesting discussions.Here are some other dilemmas about ethics thatwould also be challenging to consider. We will befacing them in our society in d1e next few years.Today's leaders will be key forces in forging theetlucs of tl1e next century.

Scientific advances are raising new questions.For instance, a few years ago a person wasconsidered dead when they were no longer

breatllli'1g.Then the definition of death changedto the absence of a heartbeat. Currently brainwaves are the definitive sign of life. Since it isnow tecl111icallypossible to keep a body alivelong after brain activity has ceased, we havehad to redefine what life is.New biotechnology and gene splicing willmake it possible to create more food than theworld's current population needs. When thishappens, what ethical measures can the worlduse to prevent a population explosion?Wl1at is our ethical responsibility to starvingpeople in countries where governments areseeking control by starving opposition groupsto death? Do we interfere with the internalpolicies of other nations? Is it educal to useforce?Should surrogate mothers be banned? (fheyare, after all, prominent in the Bible.) Ifnot, what should be done when the child isdefective? Wl1en the pregnancy producestwins? Wl1en one party to d1e contract wantsto break tl1e contract?Consciousness-altering drugs have been aroundas long as alcoholic beverages, but have onlyrecendy been introduced to Western culture- with devastating effect. Cultures in whichdrugs are traditional have strict standards andrituals for their use, just as Western culturehas ancient customs and proscriptions for theuse of alcohol. How should the United Statescope with the so-called recreational drugs?Given tl1at both drugs and alcohol harm theunborn fetus and alter the brain in permanentand destructive ways, is it logical to ban oneand not the other? Some countries have triedto contain drug use by legalizing drugs. Theyhave not succeeded. Od1.ers have tried to enddrug use by strict death penalties. They alsohave not succeeded. What answers can today'sleaders offer?We like to dUnk our justice system has comea long way since seven-year-old clllidren werehanged for stealing bread two hundred yearsago. But has it? If a society is judged by itsprisons, how do we rate? Does anyone believetl1at people come out of prison any better thanwhen they went in? Yet, for the daily cost of

incarcerating someone in a da...""1gerous,over-crowded prison, one could stay in a luxury /hotel with room service. Jessica Mitford wrotein Kind and UnusualPunishmenj, "Those of us onthe outside [of prisons] do not like to think ofwardens and guards as our servants. Yet theyare, and they are intimately locked in a deadlyembrace with their hlli-nan captives behindthe prison walls. By extension, so are we. Aterrible double meaning is thus imparted to theoriginal question of human ethics: Am I mybrother's keeper?"Since the invention of the long bow, each newweapon has been heralded as so horrible that itwill put an end to war. Yet no weapon made hasever gone unused. Our country now possessesthe bombs and poisons to kill every living thingon this planet ten times over. Can the inevitablebe postponed or prevented? What role willtoday's leaders play in the outcome?

The Responsibility Of MaturityOur nation is maturing and with that maturity

comes responsibility. With 250 million (and rising)people in this country we cannot afford ~o becareless about ethics. We preach humannghtsaround the world. We criticize nations who enslave.Now we must seek our own counseL We mustlook candidly at our nation's actions, policies andstandards, and examine our ethical values. Theworld is watching. Do we practice what we preach?Having high ethics does not mean reciting a list ofpious platitudes. It means defh-ling our beliefs andthen living by them.

In his book Winning Through Integrity, CliffC. Jones says, "It takes maturity to walk the fineline between avarice and ambition." If we arecollectively committed to makin.g a value systemwork, it will. If not, no policy can enforce highethics. We owe it to our nation and ourselves tomeet the highest ethical standards and then toexpect others to do likewise.

Words like "virtue," ''honor,'' and "duty" havefallen out of fashion. We need to return themto our vocabulary as power words, not terms ofderision. Virtue is not virginity. Honor is not aplaque or trophy. Duty is not a punishment. Let's

recognize virtue as a restless quest for justice, honoras rejecting shoddiness, duty as a moral obligation.

Our pledge of allegiance says "with liberty andjustice for all." If our nation is to remain great wemust re-establish what our forefathers created forus: E pluribus umtm, one composed of many. Thatmeans working together for our common interests,hopes, and values. Our differences are part of ourgreat strength. We are a melting pot of peoples,religions, and ideas. Out of this wonderfully diversemixture has come our shared system of ethicalvalues.

America's uniqueness lies in its ability to drawstrength from new insights and ideas, to use changeas a positive force. We cannot succumb to elitismand special interests that use differences to tear usapart. Our shared ethical values keep us free. Andour ability to change and grow keeps us strong. Wemake a difference when we set an example of highethics.

Ancient WisdomThe Greeks and Eastern philosophers have

much wisdom to offer us as we change and grow:Confucius predated Plato by only a few decades andboth wrote extensively about ethics. Confucius'sideas are still revered and provide rules of conductfor millions of people.

Here are a few of his thoughts on ethics:" The essentials of good government are: a

sufficiency of food, a sufficiency of arms, andthe confidence of the people. If forced to giveup one of these, give up arms. If forced togive up two, give up food. Death has been theportion of all men from of old, but withoutthe people's trust, nothing can endure.

•• Hold fast to what is good and the people willbe good. The virtue of the good man is asthe wind and that of the bad man as the grass.When the wind blows, the grass will bend.

e Let the leader show rectitude in his personalcharacter and things will go well, even withoutdirections from him.

Twenty-five hundred years later, these wordsare just as meaningful as the day he wrote them.

Our short history is an exciting one. We willcontinue to have a bright future if we can encourageand produce leaders who put ethics at the top ofthe list of leadership qualities. If you are an ethicalperson you will attract others to you. If making adifference means having great concern for ethics,you will be one of those who leads us into the nextcentury.

"Leadership Quality 3: A Leader has High Ethics",from MAKING A DIFFERENCE by Sheila Murray Bethel,Copyright © 1990 by Sheila Murray Bethel. Used bypermission of Viking Penguin, a division of PenguinPutnam, Inc.

AJ A Framework for Thinking Ethically"Developed by Manuel Velasquez, Dennis Moberg, Michael J. Meyer, Thomas ShanksMargaret R. McLean, David DeCosse, Claire Andre, and Kirk O. Hanson '

,- When you think of leaders whom you know, canyou identify which of the five ethical approaches thateach seems to use most often?

ft~ f h~U1 k~~i~;tE';~~~j;:~~~!~tThis document is designed a~ an introd~ction to

thinking ethically. We all have an image of our betterselves - of how we are when we act ethically or are"at our best." We probably also have an image ofwhat an ethical community, an ethical business, anethical government, or an ethical society should be.Ethics really has to do with all these levels - acting ,.ethically as individuals, creating ethical organization~and governments, and making our society as a wholeethical in the way it treats everyone.

Simply stated, educs refers to standards of~ehavior that tell us how human beings ought to actill the many situations in which they find themselves -as friends, parents, children, citizens, businesspeople,teachers, professionals, and so on.

It is helpful to identify what ethics is NOT:• Ethics is not the same as feelings. Feelings provide

important information for our ethical choices.Some people have highly developed habits thatmake them feel bad when they do somethingwrong, but many people feel good even thoughthey are doing something wrong. And often ourfeelings will tell us it is uncomfortable to do theright thing if it is hard.

• Ethics is not religion. Manypeoplearenotreligio~s,but ethics applies to everyone. Most religions do

advocate high ethical standards but sometimes donot address all the types of problems we face.Ethics is not following the law A good systemof law does incorporate many ethical standardsbut law can deviate from what is ethical. La;can become ethically corrupt, as some totalitarianregimes have made it. Law can be a function ofpower alone and designed to serve the interestsof narrow groups. Law may have a difficulttime designing or enforcing standards in someimportant areas, and may be slow to address newproblems.Ethics is not following culturally accepted norms.Some cultures are quite ethical, but others becomecorrupt - or blind to certain ethical concerns (asthe United States was to slavery before the CivilWar). ''When in Rome, do as the Romans do" isnot a satisfactory ethical standard.Ethics is not science. Social and natural sciencecan provide important data to help us make betterethical choices. But science alone does not tellus what we ought to do. Science may provide anexplanation for what humans are like. But ethicsprovides reasons for how humans ought to act.And just because something is scientifically ortechnologically possible, it may not be ethical todo it.

Why Identifying Ethical Standards is HardThere are two fundamental problems in identifyingthe ethical standards we are to follow:1. On what do we base our ethical standard?2. How do those standards get applied to specific

situations we face?

If our ethics are not based on feelings, religion,law, accepted social practice, or science, what are they

-based on? Many philosophers and ethicists havehelped us answer this critical question. They havesuggested at least five different sources of ethicalstandards we should use.

The Utilitarian A.pproachSome ethicists emphasize that the ethical action

is the one that provides the most good or does theleast harm, or to put it another way, produces thegreatest balance of good over harm. The ethicalcorporate action, then, is the one that produces thegreatest good and does the least harm for all who areaffected - customers, employees, shareholders, thecommunity, and the environment. Ethical warfarebalances the good achieved in ending terrorism withthe harm done to all parties through death, injuries,and destruction. The utilitarian approach deals withconsequences; it tries both to increase the good doneand to reduce the harm done.

The Rights ApproachOther philosophers and ethicists suggest that the

ethical action is the one that best protects and respectsthe moral rights of those affected. This approachstarts from the belief that humans have a dignitybased on their human nature per se or on their abilityto choose freely what they do with their lives. On thebasis of such dignity, they have a right to be treated asends and not merely as means to other ends. The listof moral rights - including the rights to make one'sown choices about what kind of life to lead, to be toldthe truth, not to be injured, to a degree of privacy, andso on - is widely debated: some now argue that non-humans have rights, too. Also, it is often said thatrights imply duties - in particular, the duty to respectothers' rights.

The Fairness or Justice ApproachAristotle and other Greek philosophers have

contributed the idea that all equals should betreated equally. Today we use this idea to say tl1atethical actions threat all human beings equally - or ifunequally, then fairly based on some standard tl1at isdefensible. We pay people more based on their harderwork or the greater amount tlut tl1ey contribute to artorganization, and say tlut is fair. But there is a debateover CEO salaries that are hundreds of times larger

than the pay of others; many ask whether tl1e hugedisparity is based on a defensible standard or whetherit is the result of an it-nbalance of power and hence isunfair.

The Common Good ApproachThe Greek philosophers have also contributed the

notion that life in community is a good in itself and ouractions should contribute to that life. This approachsuggests tlut the interlockit.g relationships of societyare the basis of ethical reasoning and that respect andcompassion for all others - especially the vulnerable- are requirements of such reasoning. This approachalso calls attention to the common conditions that areimportant to the welfare of everyone. This may be asystem of laws, effective police and fire departments,health care, a public education system, or even publicrecreational areas.

The Virtue ApproachA very ancient approach to ethics is that ethical

actipns ought to be consistent with certain idealwhIes that provide for tl1e full development of ourhumanity. These virtues are dispositions and habitsthat enable us to act according to the highest potentialof our character and on behalf of values like truthand beauty. Honesty,courage, compassion, generosity,tolerance, love, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control,and prudence are all examples of virtues. Virtueetlucs asks of any action, "\Xlhat kind of person willI become if I do this?" or "Is this action consistentwith my acting at my best?"

Each of the approaches helps us determine whatstandards of behavior can be considered etlucal.There are still problems to be solved, however.

The first problem is that we may not agree on thecontent of some of these specific approaches. Wemay not all agree to the same set of human and civilrights.

We may not agree on what constitutes the commongood. We may not even agree on what is a good orwhat is a harm.

The second problem is that the differentapproaches may not all answer the question 'Whatis etlUcal?" in the same way. Nonetheless, eachapproach gives us L""11portant information witl1which to determine what is etlucal in a particular

circumstance. And much more often than not, thedifferent approaches do lead to similar answers.

Making DecisionsMaking good ethical decisions requires a trained

sensitivity to ethical issues and a practiced methodfor exploring the ethical aspects of a decision andweighing the considerations that should impact ourchoice of a course of action. Having a method forethical decision making is absolutely essential. Whenpracticed regularly, the method becomes so familiarthat we work through it automatically withoutconsulting the specific steps.

The more novel and difficult the ethical choicewe face, the more we need to rely on discussionand dialogue with others about the dilemma. Onlyby careful exploration of the problem, sided by theinsights and different perspectives of others, can wemake good ethical choices in such situations.

We have found the following framework forethical decisions making a useful method for exploringethical dilemmas and identifying ethical courses ofaction.

Recognize an Ethical Issue1. Is there something wrong personally,

interpersonally, or socially? Could the conflict,the situation, or the decision be damaging topeople or to the community?

2. Does the issue go beyond legal or institutionalconcerns? What does it do to people, whohave dignir-y, rights, and hopes for a better lifetogether?

Get the Facts3. What are the relevant facts of the case? What

facts are unknown?4. What individuals and groups have an important

stake in the outcome? Do some have a greaterstake because they have a special need or becausewe have special obligations to them?

5. What ate the options for acting? Have all therelevant persons and groups been consulted? Ifyou showed your list of options to someone yourespect, what would that person say?

Evaluate Alternative Actions From/Various Ethical Perspectives6. Which option will produce the most good and do

the least harm?

Utilitarian Approach: The ethical action is the onethat will produce the greatest balance of benefits overharms.7. Even if not everyone gets all they want, will

everyone's rights and dignity still be respected?

Rights Approach: The ethical action is the one thatmost dutifully respects the rights of all affected.8. Which option is fair to all stakeholders?

Fairness or Justice Approach: The ethical action isthe one that treats people equally, or if unequally, thattreats people proportionately and fairly.9. Which option would help all participate more

fully in the life we share as a family, community,and society?

Common Good Approach: The ethical action is theone that contributes most to the achievement of aquality common life together.10. Would you want to become the sort of person

who acts this way (e.g., a person of courage orcompassion)?

Virtue Approach: The ethical action is the one thatembodies the habits and values of humans at their best.

Make a Decision and Test It11. Considering all these perspectives, which of the

options is the right or best thing to do?12. If you told someone you respect why you chose

this option, what would that person say? If youhad to explain your decision on television, wouldyou be comfortable doing so?

Act, Then Reflect on the Decision Later13. Implement your decisions. How did it turn out

for all concerned? If you had it to do over again,what would you do differently?

This framework for thinking ethically is the product ofdialogue and debate at the Markkula Center for AppliedEthics at Santa Clara University. Primary contributors includeManuel Velasquez, Dennis Moberg, Michael J. Meyer,Thomas Shanks, Margaret R. McLean, David Decosse, ClaireAndre, and Kirk O. Hanson. This article appeared originallyin Issues in Ethics. V. 1, N. 2 (Winter 1988).

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Miss Evers' Boys (1997)

Based on the play by David fe!dshuhTeleplay by Walter BernsteinDirected by Joseph Sargent

Miss Evers' Bq)'s is based on the history of theTuskegee Experiment, a 40-year, govemment-backed medical research effort on the effects ofsyphilis in black men of Alabama. In 1932, aneager and dedicated Nurse Eunice Evers is invitedto work with Dr. Brodus and Dr. Douglas on afederally-funded program to treat syphilis patientsin Alabama. Men who test positive for the diseasewill receive free treatment, as the doctors deternlinethe effectiveness of various alternatives. Thegovernment withdraws the funding for the freetreatments, and instead offers money for what willbecome known as "The Tuskegee Ex-periment," astudy of the effects of syphilis on patients who donot receive any treatments known to be effective.Nurse Evers must decide if she will remain withthe project that the doctors tell her still has benefitsfor medical science. She would have to work toconvince the men that they are being cared for,even after an effective cure, penicillin, becomesavailable. Alternatively, she could leave the projectand tell the men that they are no longer receivingeffective treatment, knowing that they cannotafford the treatment anyway.

1. Do you arrive at different answers to the ques-tion "Was the Tuskegee Experiment ethical?"using the five different approaches toethical decision making explained in the article"A Framework for Thinking Ethic;illY"?

2. What arguments convince Eunice Evers tocontin.ue working with the study?

3. Are lies ever justified? In whatcircumstances?

Eunice Evers: Alfre Woodward(nurse)

Dr. Brodus: Joe Morton

Dr. Douglas: Craig Sheffer

CaJebHumphries: Laurence Fishburne(patient)

Willie Johnson: Obba Babatunde(patient)

Whom to Choose =

Values and Group Decision Making

It is much more difficult to make ethicalchoices based on values than on facts. However,we often make unconscious "value" decisions. Partof self-growth can include understanding one'sown value system in order to make more intelligentor appropriate ethical choices.

This exercise provides an opportunity to: (1)examine and make choices concerning one's ownvalues, (2) assess the degree to which members ofa group have common values and the impact ofthis on group decision making, and (3) observeproblem-solving strategies in groups.

Your Instructor will provide you with theWhom to Choose Nominees list and furtherinstructions based on one of the followingsituations or an alternative scenario.

Since kidney dialysis has become very rare,people who have nonfunctioning kidneys allwant transplants. Those who cannot receive thesetransplants will probably die in one or two years.Unfortunately, there are many more applicantsthan there are available kidneys. ScandinavianMedical Center in Houston, Texas, has becomerenowned for its kidney transplants. A committeeof doctors screens all applicants to see who wouldphysically benefit most from a kidney transplant.For instance, a person with chronic emphysema orsome other debilitating disease might not recoverwell from the operation.

You are on the hospital's final screening

committee. All the applicants on your list have beendetermined to benefit equally from the transplant.Assume they will all match the donors. Now it isup to you to make a choice about which six peoplewill receive kidneys this year. Rank order the six byimportance, because it may be that only four or fivekidneys will be available. In addition, rank ordertwo alternatives, since there might be as many aseight kidneys available for transplants.

You will then share your choices with yourgroup, and it will make a final decision.

The 5.5. Titanic II has just hit an iceberg andwill sink in one hour. All lifeboats are assignedexcept one. For this last lifeboat you must selectsix people from the list.

After that is done, your next task is theallocation of resources. The lifeboat containsenough food and water for seven days. Assumerescue will not occur before seven days and maytake as many as fourteen. If this is so, food mustbe severely rationed. You must decide what to doin case a fourteen-day lifeboat stay is required:

1. Reduce everyone's food by one-half.2. Reduce some of the group (of six) members'

food and not others, so that those with fullallocations of food have a greater chance tomake it through t.he fourteen days.

You will then share your choices with your group,and it will make a final decision.

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Whom to Choose Situation DescriptionSpaceship

The Spaceship Foundation is preparing to senda craft on a journey through our galaxy. It "rillcontain information on the eard1's cultures, history,and notable people.

You must choose six notable people from alist. Their biographies ~ be included with theFoundation's material. This material is intended tobe intercepted by extraterrestrial beings and ~serve as the basis for the impressions d1ey form ofthe United States and of Earth in general.

You will then share your choices with yourgroup, and it ~ make a final decision.

Reprinted from: A Handbook of Structured Experiencesfor Human Relations Training. Volume VII, by J. WilliamPfeiffer and John E. Jones (Eds.) Copyright ©1979 byPfeiffer and Company, Inc. San Diego, CA. Used withpel-mission.