Ethics on the Edge

In today''s world, ethics can be complicated and its boundaries blurred. Should businesses go beyond their legal obligations? Should a radical thinker with an extremist following be invited to defend their position alongside more mainstream public figures? Should historical statues be taken down if the people they memorialise have fallen out of fashion? Is it ok for athletes to take any kind of supplements to enhance their performance? Should technological innovators be forced to slow down in order that policy makers - and the media - have time to predict, debate and mitigate the (ethical) consequences of innovations such as facial recognition, voice activation, and driverless cars? Is censorship ever justified? Can you still enjoy and appreciate the art if the artist has been proved to be highly unethical? These things are often not black and white and so this accessible guide, written by a world class ethics professor, is for anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of ethical dilemmas and who wants to learn how to apply ethical standards to their own decision-making. Using real-life examples, Professor Liautaud sets out her framework for ethical decision-making which can be applied in all areas of life, including in business. Learn how institutional power structures and the classic pillars of ethical decision making, such as informed consent and transparency, are being challenged (think Big Data). Consider the unforeseen ethical consequences that innovations can have on humanity (drones, for example), and the normalisation of alternative facts and the contagious spread of misinformation - such as seen in the vaccine hoax. Using historical examples, Dr Liautaud will provide the reader with the tools to better integrate ethics into our everyday thought and behaviour.