Terzet-Digitaal Congres-15-dhr. dr. R. van Es

TERZET 25 JAAR- DIGITAAL CONGRES 2018 5 Table 2: Process value of the ethical dialogue 1. Reciprocity Treat each other as able moral actors Respect Treat each other humanely, at the very least Trust Create a sense of mutual reliability Outcome Values of the Moral Debate The actual ethical issue is discussed during the moral debate. The debate is where the actors, first of all, assert which values are at stake and how the ethical issue had best be formulated. Next, the issue is analyzed from the three different classical ethical angles: principles, virtues and consequences (Beauchamp, 1982; Darwall, 2003b, 2003c, 2003d). Through this analysis, each actor decides on a preliminary position. Next, the moral debate focuses on all the participants’ positions and ideas in order for everyone to develop the best possible understanding of these. Every actor presents a persuasive argument laying out what they think should be done and why. Ultimately, this approach will lead to an outcome, which can vary from a compromise to consensus. The moral debate is very outcome-oriented. That is why outcome values play a pivotal role in the debate and are influential in rounding it off. Every outcome must satisfy two outcome values: fairness and appropriateness (Van Es, 1996. See Table 3). Fairness is the basic value underlying moral debates: is everyone getting their fair share (Scanlon, 1998). Once the debate has reached an outcome, the question is whether similar cases have been treated similarly and dissimilar cases dissimilarly. The second value, appropriateness , pertains to the moral issue’s context. The question that needs to be answered is whether the outcome aptly takes into account the ethical issue’s context (Fisher, Ury and Patton, 1991; Jackson, 2011). Table 3: Outcome values of the moral debate 1. Fairness Have the results been divided fairly? 2. Appropriateness Does the outcome suit the context? In process ethics, the ethical dialogue is a prerequisite for conducting the moral debate fairly. In the actual exchange, plotted on a timeline, the ethical dialogue is dominant and encompasses the moral process. In other words, the moral debate is embedded in the ethical dialogue, as Figure 1 illustrates (Van Es, 1996; 2000; 2007). The assumptions of the ethical dialogue are put to the test by debating the moral issue. The entire process can be seen as a learning experience: the assumptions of one or more parties may have changed after the actual debate. Figure 1: Moral debate embedded in ethical dialogue E t h i c a l D i a l o g u e on assumptions, relationships and the rules of the game Process values: Reciprocity (respect and trust) Assumptions before debating the issue Moral Debate on issue(s) and arguments Outcome values: Fairness and Appropriateness Assumptions after debating the issue This combination of dialogue and debate is the basic link between the academic level and everyday practice, the first characteristic of a fitting certified expert model. We now turn to the second characteristic: the dynamic of acting and choosing.