Instruction
. “A Credo defines you and your ethical boundaries.” State your personal Credo which
should reflect your answers to the following questions:
1. Who are you? You answered this question at the start of the semester but this time refine
your response and describe yourself in terms or qualities that are immutable. That is,
what about you won’t change no matter what happens to you, good or bad. Don’t rely so
heavily on the roles you occupy (e.g. daughter, friend, no-assist forward) to describe
yourself. Describe your true self.
2. What do you stand for? What things would you never do to get ahead or achieve an
important goal? What lines would you never cross? For example, would you ever cheat,
steal, or lie?
II. Which Ethical Theory do you most closely ascribe to? Why? Discuss.
III. What 4 pitfalls (psychological or social) make you most vulnerable to making unethical
decisions? Why? Discuss. And what safeguards will you employ to guard against those
pitfalls impacting your ethical decision making? Discuss.
IV. Apply your Credo to the dilemma below and describe how you would resolve the
dilemma. And explain whether your resolution is consistent with your Credo.
Sally, your life long good friend, has applied to graduate school at Harvard. Admission to
Harvard would represent the culmination of a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice by Sally and
her family. A Harvard Graduate School Admission’s officer scheduled a conference with you to
discuss Sally. The officer tells you that you are the last person being interviewed about Sally and
absent unfavorable information Sally will be admitted. During the conference you are asked if
Sally has ever made any racially inappropriate statements. The officer also tells you that if Sally
has made any such statements she will not be admitted. In truth you view Sally as racist and as
long as you can remember Sally has regularly said things that were racist. Your refusal to answer
the officer’s question will be viewed by Harvard as an admission that Sally has previously made
racist statements so that isn’t an option for you.
Should you respond truthfully to the officer’s inquiry? Yes or no. Explain what you would do
and why you would do it. Be sure and explain the basis for your answer.