Site Overview
Features that are always available
Beginning Points: This section provides some very general advice on what it means to be ethical, how to deliberate, and some general concerns about ethics and morality.
Frameworks: Like the beginning points, this page gives a general introduction to the three frameworks on this site; Consequences, Duties, and Virtue. It also gives some guidance over what framework to choose, the sources of the framework, and the relationships between the frameworks.
Perspectives: The perspectives page has a number of essays explaining the views of specific thinkers within each framework. Each essay highlights how each thinker perceives, judges, and motivates people to act ethically. It is most useful when used with the Guided Deliberation when answering a number of the questions.
Tough Choices: This page presents a number of case studies that have been resolved using the CED Guided Deliberation Process. To use the Guided Deliberation Process to resolve tough choices of your own, you need to register for the site. Registration is completely free.
Features that are only available to registered users
(to register, you must provide a valid email address and password. No other identifying information will be saved).Guided Deliberation Process: This is the main focus of the site. It enables you to work through a series of open-ended questions, in order to discover an ethical solution to whatever tough choices you face. At any point during the process, you may submit your deliberation to an ethics coach* for anonymous feedback and advice. Please note: this process cannot simply generate an answer for you automatically! Rather, it is designed to help you discover an answer on your own.
Ask a Question: This option allows you to send a quick question to an ethics coach*. You can use it to get clarification on how to complete a step in the Guided Deliberation Process, or just to get some quick advice on any ethical issue you are facing.
*Note: We are not able to offer coaching services at this time, but please check back soon! For more information, contact nancy.matchett@unco.edu.
Tips on How to Get the Most from this Site:
1. Register: this will ensure that you have access to all the materials and resources within the site to suit your needs, and that any information you type in will be stored for future access. Registration is completely anonymous and takes less than a minute to complete.
2. Read the Beginning Points and Frameworks pages carefully, even if you don’t have time to read everything on the site. This will give you a better understanding of how the Guided Deliberation Process works.
3. Work through the Guided Deliberation Process slowly, especially at first: Ethical deliberation is not like deciding what to eat for lunch. It is an ongoing process that is never completely “done,” since every day of your life may present you with new ideas and experiences to consider. Even when you are trying to resolve a fairly concrete problem, you might find that you need some time to reflect, so stop the process if you are feeling tired or need to take care of something else. All of your work is automatically saved any time you exit the system, and can be resumed at a later time.
4. Keep in mind that nothing is required by this site. If a question doesn’t seem to apply to your situation, just skip it. If you start out using one framework but it doesn’t seem to be helping, try using another.
5. Take full advantage of the Tough Choices and Perspectives Pages. This material is designed to supplement the Guided Deliberation Process. It is meant to guide you, but not tell you how to think. Give each perspective the benefit of the doubt, but don’t feel you have to follow any of them exactly (indeed, this would be impossible, since different perspectives sometimes come into conflict). Similar, take seriously the ways each of the tough choices has been resolved, but don’t assume that is the only way to resolve them.
6. Use the Ethics Coaches wisely: Do not be afraid to ask questions if you disagree with something on the site, or if you simply get confused. A website cannot predict everything that a student might need help with, and the ethics coaches can guide you to the most relevant part of the site. Keep in mind, however, that they cannot solve your problem for you. They won’t tell you what to do, but they will help you figure out what you should do.
7. Keep in mind that only YOU can do this. Being ethical is not just about acting in certain ways. It involves being able to explain why you have chosen to act as you do, and why you think you are justified in choosing it. No one else can answer this question for you, since only you have the ability to reflect personally upon your actions. This website is meant to help you do this.