If you thought your child might be e-mailing the wrong people, would you secretly read his or her e-mails? If you are against lying, would it be okay to tell a small white lie to someone with Alzheimer’s or to an in-law to “keep the peace?” Can a person be almost ethical? If you are against killing, is it ethical to work for a company that produces weapons? Is there any harm in small ethical mistakes? These questions and many more are addressed in this book. The answers are not just given to you, but a system is taught so you can determine the answers for yourself.
I have been using personal codes for many years. Much of my study and thought on codes comes from studying the warrior lifestyle. The Army and the martial arts I’ve studied have all had codes of behavior to follow. It only makes sense that when you teach people how to hurt or kill others that you also instill a code of ethics.
So I read “Ethics for the Real World: Creating a Personal Code to Guide Decisions in Work and Life” by Ronald A. Howard and Clinton D. Korver with a basic understanding of ethical codes already. However, even with this background, I found myself really enjoying Howard and Korver’s text, as well as taking time to actually think of what I would do facing the same or similar situations as presented in this book. It also prompted me to evaluate my own personal code and modify it. After all, as the authors point out in this book, your code will change as you do.
This is not a book that tells you how to act, but rather a book that assists you in creating a personal code that will guide you with your own decision making. The book focuses on the most basic of ethical temptations: to lie, deceive, steal or harm. The author’s goal is to make the reader aware of these temptations and the unintended consequences of our transgressions. They do an excellent job of achieving this goal. It was especially enlightening to contemplate how even the smallest of transgressions of our ethics makes a difference. This reminded me of Miyamoto Musashi, the famed swordsman of Japan, who included in his code, “Pay attention even to trifles.”
“Ethics for the Real World” is well organized with an introduction that provides a road map for the rest of the text. The first chapter outlines basic ethical concerns to make the reader aware of the issues discussed in this book. Chapters two and three look at how to use ethical logic and principles to foster clear thinking. Chapters four and five focus on making ethical choices by creating a personal ethical code and learning a three step process creative ethical decision making. Chapters six and seven show how to actually make ethical decisions in real life personal and work situations. I really like how the authors illustrate how to strengthen relationships by making ethical choices.
I also liked the message found in the Epilogue regarding making ethical decision making a habit. The book then contains some information to help you use the book easier and three sample ethical codes. books on ethics can be very dry and theoretical. This book is neither. It is enjoyable and very practical. The examples used throughout the entire book are situations anyone might face. These examples let the reader actually see how ethical decision making incorporates into every day life.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who would like to take a deeper look at ethics and how one can be more ethical and design their own personal ethical code. This will allow you to identify, and more importantly follow, your own principles in everyday life. This will lead to better sleep at night, and I believe better communities and a better world overall.
Ethics For the Real World - Creating a Personal Code to Guide Decisions in Work and Life
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