These things are, pun totally intended, pretty magical. So today the class was presented with an ethical decision and asked to use Potter box analysis to decide what someone should have done in an unethical situation.
So, did I think it was effective? I’d say yes, but I’d be slow to say it worked completely. With differing opinions across the groups, I’d wager it’s incredibly hard to fine tune, and maybe that’s how it’s designed. It generates critical thinking, which is a pretty important thing when you’re trying to make a tough decision, and that’s basically what we were all doing.
I’d go so far as to say that if I thought about it in a different mindset (disgruntled, tired or maybe a year down the road), I might come to a completely different conclusion about the entire situation. I’ve never been put in a real unethical dilemma, so how do I know how I’d react in that situation? The simple answer is I don’t. I was speculating.
Good vs. Evil vs. Happy Medium?
The case study that was being looked at was over a young woman in an internship. She wanted a good reference to put on her resume, and the first time I thought about it I thought, “Well, that’s a pretty decent reason.” Work experience is hard to come by, and you definitely want to stay in people’s good graces if at all possible.
But today, while analyzing the same scenario for this blog, I realize that a company which engages in unethical behavior is a terrible thing to have on your resume. If the information ever came out, your potential employer might look at it negatively. Your consequentialist thinking just screwed you. The ends justified the means, but only temporarily. Then it bit you in the ass (read my blog about planning ahead!).
I mean, think about it this way. How often do you think good ol’ Ken Lay would have left “CEO of Enron Corporation – 1985-2002” on his resume? We might never know, but his zombie told me he’d definitely have omitted it (yes I know he was cremated, but it ruins my joke).
Jedi Mind Tricks
Did I just infuse Star Wars jargon in my Harry Potter themed blog? You betcha. But seriously, this decision tool will make you play mind games with yourself. One day you’ll think one way, and the next you’re totally questioning your own professional values for thinking that way the day before.
The Potter’s Box asks you to first define the situation with facts. Facts are true. Ethics start with truth. I feel like we’re off to a pretty good start.
So after you gather the facts, you’re supposed to identify values in the dilemma. This is where I think it begins to unravel a bit. One person’s values may totally discount another person’s. Maybe someone uses professional values to judge the case, but someone else uses morality.
On one hand, getting the work experience might be all you value as a professional. While in the other corner, the other person is a communitarianist and they don’t think you’re acting in the best interest of balance versus individual rights and the community.
Then we head to principles. I tend to think just about every situation can be viewed and argued over for every principle, which just makes the entire dilemma even muddier. Here’s an example:
Is it ethical to let everyone who wants to move to America move here? An illegal immigrant might use Egoism to say jumping the border is moral because it promotes their long-term self-interest, while a U.S. citizen says it’s immoral because it’s not in their long-term interest.
And the kicker is that they’d both have an argument. Generally speaking, Americans do have a higher quality of life. But crowding and poor living conditions can also lead to higher crime rates (just look at the murder rates in Houston after Katrina), lowering the quality of life for the people already here. It’s all in the eye of the beholder.
So who’s Harry Potter here? I don’t think anyone wants to be Lord Voldemort in this situation.
I’m confused
Me too. Isn’t it fun?!
So basically, the Potter Box is a bottle of cheap liquor. Your decision making process goes in a million different, unexpected directions after you’ve been using it too long. Put down the sauce, take a nap and head back in with a clear mind later. You’ll thank me in the morning.
Overall, I think it’s a great tool for brainstorming, but decision making can be a difficult task if you have more than one person looking at it. The Potter Box, while useful, is by no means an end-all conjurer of perfect solutions, but it can help us take a look at the situation based on many different perspectives.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some Potter Box analysis to do. Voldemort’s crew is in dire need of some ethics discussions and I’m not sure how to approach it.
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