Exam 4: Why Be Ethical

As an exercise in understanding the nature of Toffler's notions about "future shock," construct an essay that reflects upon what you thought the future would be like when you were young. When you were a kid, what did you think it would be like "out there in the future"? Did you expect that we would all have our own helicopters? That we would be able to travel in transporters (like in Star Trek)? Did you think that poverty or ignorance or war would be "over forever"? Have some fun with this; Instructors should have the class share these ideas and, again, have some fun with the concept.

According to social historians Daniel Bell and Alvin Toffler, there has been more change in human affairs since World War II than in the previous ____________ years.

Ethical formalism is not absolute, rationalization is permitted.

Generally speaking, the duty of the police is comprised of three distinct functions. Which is not one of these functions?

Discuss why "ethics make us human." Why do philosophers and religious authorities agree that the single most important difference between the animal kingdom and human beings is this propensity to create moral codes and control natural instincts?

Discuss examples of the three types of power. Use non-police examples first and then move to consider some police-related uses of exhortative, reciprocal, and coercive power. Then discuss the idea of power prioritization and why Muir believes this is a critical idea for police officers.

A person's conduct is the product of what he or she understands.

The authors suggest that police officers are regularly confronted with details wherein "both sides are right." Discuss examples of such ethical dilemmas or confrontations where the police have to "referee" between citizens (or groups of citizens), each of whom is, from his or her perspective, right.

Consider the idea that there are numerous reasons for being ethical. What are they? Which is the most convincing to you? Can you think of other reasons, either more specific or more general, for people to want to behave in an ethical manner? How about police officers?

The followers of ethical formalism believe that being ethical is something everyone should do because

Power prioritization means

Coercive power

The "Fort Apache syndrome" refers to

Victimless crimes include all except

Historically, two inventions separated humans from animals:

Three perspectives of ethical thought are

Police officers are rarely confronted with ethical questions and ethical dilemmas in their professional lives.

In addition to the individual, who has responsibility for making people good?

Until a couple of hundred years ago, in their entire lifetime few people traveled further than _____ miles from the bed they were born in.

Police power