INTRODUCTION TO

ETHICS

Why Study Ethics?

Ethical dilemmas cannot be avoided
Thats cheating vs. no, its not!
Thats a violation of rules! vs. but everyone is doing
it!
Thats bad coaching! vs. No, it isn't!

For example the following statement poses

an ethical question:
Winning isn't everything; it's the only
thing(Henry Russell, 1950)
If your are not, first your last.
Second place is a first place loser.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZRYiOa5lM8

 Your team will either argue PRO or CON

the above statement.
Four PRO teams versus four CON teams &
Judges
Arguments either PRO or CON need to
include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Introduction of the argument Opening Statement- explain

what you will prove to your audience
List Proof- supporting evidence- show the facts
Rebuttal Prepare counter arguments On your feet
response
Final Summary- closing argument- connects all the dots for
your audience
ONLY 2 MINUTES PER ARGUMENT!

ETHICS DEFINITION
Moral principles that guide a persons or groups
behavior
Derived from the Greek word - ethike.
Means the science of morals and character.
Is a sub-discipline of philosophy.
Often used interchangeably with such words as
morals, values, and norms by lay people.
Ethics is concerned with issues of right and wrong
in the context of human conduct.
However, it is also concerned with what is good and
bad, and what is authentic and non-authentic.

Ethics, Morals and

Values
Values are our fundamental beliefs.
honesty, integrity, compassion, courage, honor,
responsibility, patriotism, respect

Morals are values which we attribute to a

system of beliefs.
Religion, political system, culture

Ethics is about our actions and decisions.

When consistent with our beliefs or the beliefs of a
society

CATEGORIES OF ETHICS
Methaethics Concentrates on the
logic, coherence, and
presuppositions of ethical theory
(philosophy)
Applied ethics Is more concerned
with examining behavior in terms of
right and wrong, good or bad,
authentic and inauthentic.
You, as potential, future sport leader,
will usually employ applied ethics.

ETHICS

(Crosset and Hums, 1998)

Defined ethics as
study of values that
guide decision
making.
Ethical dilemma practical conflict of
more or less equally
compelling
obligations.

Tim Tebow

MORALS
A study of human behavior as a
consequence of beliefs about what is
right or wrong, or good or bad.
Ethics is the study of moral problems
Ethics seeks to discover how one ought to
act
Judgments of specific behaviors

These two terms are often used

synonymously, but are not the same.

VALUES
Values are deeply held views that serve to motivate and
guide our behavior.
Values are enduring and often help set the life we
follow.
Usually has a positive connotation.
Lumpkin, Stoll, and Beller (2003) define individual values
as something you think is worthwhile.

VALUES
Four moral values surface in
almost every major religious
text (Lumpkin et al, 2003):
1. Justice
2. Honesty
3. Responsibility
4. Beneficence Not doing
harm; Doing good.
5. Faithfulness

Dealing with Moral

Questions
No one can avoid dealing with moral questions.
(Billington ,1988)

You can live without being concerned with

others.
But as long as you live with another person or
alongside others, then you will encounter moral
issues and need to make ethical decisions.

Ethical decisions offer no final answers.

Some ethical theories may be shown to be more
reasonable and correct than others
But to offer a completely satisfactory answer to a
moral problem is too ambitious a goal .
The answer may change over time.

Choice & Morality

(Billington ,1988)

Choice is a central element

of morality.
If someone is forced to act
in a certain manner, it may
be possible not to hold that
person completely
accountable for their
actions.
Trying to avoid a moral
problem is also a choice.

 Deontology
Teleology
Existentialis
m

Deontology
Rule-based approach that focuses
on obligation and duty.
Behavior that is based upon what
is right and wrong.
The attention is on the act itself,
so this approach is nonconsequentialist.

Is it legal?

Teleology
Behavior based on what is good.
An approach that focuses on the
consequences of the action.
Measures the amount of goodness or
badness that may arise from behavior.
More concerned about assessing the
consequences of a particular action
than examining the act itself.

Is it good for the

sport?

Existentialism
Behavior based upon what is
authentic and inauthentic.
Authenticity refers to how true
someone is to himself or herself.
Attention is directed solely on the
individual.
Integrity and genuineness are other
factors that must be considered in
judging each individual act.

Is it authentic?

MORAL REASONING
The process in which an individual tries to determine the
difference between what is right and what is wrong in a
personal situation.

(Kohlberg, 1958)

Three General Criteria of

Good Moral Reasoning (SIMON,
1991)
Must remain impartial.
Must be systematically
consistent.
Must be analyzed
together with particular
cases to reveal the
extent of their moral
worth.

WHY BE ETHICAL?
(Malloy, Ross, & Zakus, 2003)

Human interaction
If we persist with our
immoral actions, most
people will not associate
with us.
Refusal to obey rules
Chaos results if individuals
or organizations disobey all
rules, especially since they
agreed to them.
Goodness is preferable to evil
Behaving ethically
advances the notion of
fairness.

Tina Harding vs Nancy Kerrigan (1994)

RENDERING MORAL
JUDGMENT
Engaging in ethics pertains
to judging humans in
terms of ends or goals
attained and the means
used to achieve them.
This approach includes an
examination of the
relationship between the
means and the ends.

AGENT
ACCOUNTABILITY
People are accountable for their actions.
Each person is technically identified as
an agent, which implies that individual
has free will and power to act.
This enables each individual to choose which
action to do.

Agents are accountable for actions done

intentionally but not those that are
accidental.

1.
2.

3.

4.
5.

Five Steps for Rendering

Ethical Judgement-MODEL
1 (Malloy, Ross, & Zakus, 2003)
Obtain and clarify all the pertinent facts of the
case or incident.
Identify and enunciate the ethical maxim to be
used (deontology, teleology, and existenialism).
a. Teleological is it right?
b. Deontological is it good?
c. Existential is it authentic?
Time You can look at the time before the
incident, the time of the incident, and the
consequences that resulted due to the incident.
Identify and discuss extenuating circumstances.
Render judgment Only after all the facts have
been considered and you have employed the

appropriate ethical maxim(s).

YOU MAKE THE CALL

Should revenue-producing
college athletes be
compensated in addition to
their scholarship?

Should an athletes character

be considered for induction
into the Hall of Fame?

YOU MAKE THE CALL

Should student
athletes have to
satisfy academic
standards in order to
compete?
Should youth baseball
coaches teach
pitchers to throw
inside to intimidate or
sometimes beam
batters?

YOU MAKE THE CALL

Should the use of andro
tarnish the
accomplishments Mark
McGwires record breaking
home run season?
How about if he had used
steroids?

Is it okay to try to injure

another teams star
player so long as this
attempt falls within the
rules of the game?