ETHICAL REASONING
Thinking Through Choices Before Acting
Your friend shows you an AI-generated video of your teacher saying something ridiculous.
It's convincing. It's hilarious. Everyone's sharing it.
Do you share it too?
AN ETHICAL DILEMMA
POSSIBLE REACTIONS
"No, that's wrong"
A reaction
"It's just a joke"
Also a reaction
Ethical reasoning is the THINKING between stimulus and response.
ETHICAL REASONING QUESTIONS TO ASK:
Who could be affected by this action, and how?
Do my intentions justify the potential consequences?
If everyone did this, what kind of world would that create?
Am I treating people how I'd want to be treated?
What values am I honoring or violating?
THINK (2 minutes):
Go back to the AI video scenario
Use the ethical reasoning questions to think through whether you'd share it.
COMPETING VALUES
Ethical reasoning often reveals tensions between values you care about:
Humor
Connection
Honesty
Respect
Your job: decide which matters more in this situation
QUESTIONS YOU'LL FACE:
Should I use AI to help write my essay?
Should I share that post if I'm not sure it's true?
Should I speak up when I see something wrong?
How do I balance privacy with convenience?
What responsibilities do I have to my communities?
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION
GROUPS OF 3-4
(5 minutes)
Pick ONE question from the previous slide.
Use the ethical reasoning questions to discuss it
It's okay if your group doesn't agree!
IMPORTANT!
Ethical reasoning isn't about being perfect
It's about having a framework for thinking
It's about learning from mistakes
It's about the humility to recognize you might not get it right the first time
A TEACHER'S DILEMMA
THE SITUATION:
Saw another teacher treating a student dismissively
THE QUESTIONS:
Speak to teacher? Report to admin? Stay quiet?
THE REASONING:
What are my responsibilities? What would I hope for?
THE CHOICE:
Spoke directly with the teacher with compassion and honesty. Approached them with curiosity.
THREE PRACTICES
1
NOTICE
ethical dilemmas everywhere
2
EMBRACE
complexity and multiple truths
3
SEEK
different perspectives
CASE STUDY: ANALYZE
INDIVIDUAL WORK (4 minutes)
Think of a movie, book, or current event where someone faced an ethical dilemma
What choice did they make? What values were in tension? What would you have done?
WHY IT MATTERS
The future needs people who ask:
Not just "Can I do this?"
But "Should I do this? And why?"
YOUR CHALLENGE
THIS WEEK:
Notice ONE ethical dilemma.
Use the questions to think it through.
Reflect on what you learned.
REMEMBER
Ethical reasoning is a skill. You get better with practice.
The world needs your thoughtful choices.