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Scott Rae's 7-Step Moral Reasoning Model

C. Scott Rae's 7-Step Moral Reasoning Model provides a structured approach to ethical decision-making that balances emotional and rational considerations. The model emphasizes gathering facts, identifying ethical issues, determining relevant virtues and principles, listing alternatives, comparing these alternatives, considering consequences, and ultimately making a justified decision. This framework aims to guide individuals in navigating moral dilemmas by asking the right questions rather than providing definitive answers.

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75 views3 pages

Scott Rae's 7-Step Moral Reasoning Model

C. Scott Rae's 7-Step Moral Reasoning Model provides a structured approach to ethical decision-making that balances emotional and rational considerations. The model emphasizes gathering facts, identifying ethical issues, determining relevant virtues and principles, listing alternatives, comparing these alternatives, considering consequences, and ultimately making a justified decision. This framework aims to guide individuals in navigating moral dilemmas by asking the right questions rather than providing definitive answers.

Uploaded by

Tribune Riot
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

C.

Scott Rae’s 7-Step Moral Reasoning Model

The previous topic dealt with the


significance of being impartial and
striking a balance between using one’s
TOPIC LEARNING feelings and reasoning when it comes to
OUTCOMES moral decision-making. One does not only
make a decision in a moral dilemma (or in
At the end of the lesson, the any situation for that matter) by simply
students should be able to: relying on one’s gut-feeling; nor should
1. Check real-life cases one only be constantly logical devoid of
against the 7-step any emotional consideration in making
model, a model that moral decisions. Nevertheless, it is
uses reason and necessary to exercise careful thinking
impartiality; when it comes to moral analysis,
2. Justify the reasons evaluation, and decision-making: mindful
behind their options of the persons involved, the act itself, the
concerning the given applicable principles, and the overall
moral dilemma context of the situation in which any moral
situation; and decision is to be made. Scott Rae, in his
3. Express immediate and book, Moral Choices (2018), proposed a
carefully evaluated moral reasoning model that could be used
responses to moral as a guide in making moral decisions.
dilemma situations. Rae’s moral reasoning model does not
guide one to an absolutely correct or
“right” answer or decision to a moral
dilemma; rather, his model may guide an
individual to ask the right questions to ethical
deliberation (Rae, 2018).

Scott Rae’s model for moral reasoning presents a 7-step approach to moral
analyses and evaluation. It is oriented towards virtues and principles with
consideration of consequences as a supporting role (Rae 2018). The 7-step model
is as follows:

1. Gather the Facts

➢ It is essential that in moral decision- making, one has to know the general
facts of the moral situation, before coming up with a moral analysis, more
so, a decision or an evaluation.

➢ The simplest way of clarifying an ethical dilemma is to make sure the facts
are clear. Ask: Do you have all the facts that are necessary to make a good
decision? What do we know? What do we need to know? In this light it
might become clear that the dilemma is not ethical but about
communication or strategy (Rae, 2018).

2. Determine the ethical issues

➢ After having identified the facts and overall context of the moral situation,
the ethical issue/s involved in the situation, must be clearly stated in order
to specify what issue one has to make a decision to. This section must
likewise clearly state the major moral dilemma involved in the case.
➢ Ethical interests are stated in terms of legitimate competing interests or
goods. The competing interests are what create the dilemma. Moral values
and virtues must support the competing interests in order for an ethical
dilemma to exist. If you cannot identify the underlying values/virtues then
you do not have an ethical dilemma. Often people hold these positions
strongly and with passion because of the value / virtue beneath them (Rae
2018).

3. Determine what virtues / principles have a bearing on the case

➢ Applicable ethical values and principles relevant to the case must be


identified and briefly explained in order to justify how such principles could
be used in coming up with a decision concerning the moral dilemma later
on. In addition, the sources of these principles must be acknowledged
likewise. These values, principles could come from: (1) established
philosophical ethical principles; (2) socio-cultural norms; (3) socio-political
norms and laws; (4) religious traditions; and others.

➢ In an ethical dilemma certain values and principles are central to the


competing positions. Identify these. Determine if some should be given
more weight than others. Ask what the source for the principle is -
constitution, culture, natural law, religious tradition... These supplement
biblical principles (Rae 2018).

4. List the alternatives

➢ After having identified relevant values, virtues, and principles involving the
moral situation, possible alternative courses of actions must then be
proposed and briefly explained. These suggested courses of actions must
then be evaluated based on its applicability, sensibility, practicality before
selecting one as the course of action or decision to be made regarding the
moral situation.

➢ Creatively determine possible courses of action for your dilemma. Some will
almost immediately be discarded but generally the more you list the greater
potential for coming up with a really good one. It will also help you come up
with a broader selection of ideas (Rae 2018).

5. Compare the alternatives with the virtues / principles

➢ The initial list of suggested courses of actions must then be evaluated from
the vantage point of the identified ethical values and principles.

➢ This step eliminates alternatives as they are weighed by the moral principles
which have a bearing on the case. Potentially the issue will be resolved here
as all alternatives except one are eliminated. Here you must satisfy all the
relevant virtues and values - so at least some of the alternatives will be
eliminated (even if you still have to go on to step 6). Often here you have to
weight principles and virtues - make sure you have a good reason for each
weighting (Rae 2018).

6. Consider the consequences


➢ If principles have not yielded a clear decision consider the consequences of
your alternatives. Take the alternatives and work out the positive and
negative consequences of each. Estimate how beneficial each positive and
negative consequences are – some might have greater weight than others
(Rae 2018).
7. Make a decision (including one’s justification for the decision)

➢ After having analyzed the moral dilemma situation (from steps 1 thru 6),
one must now make a decision based on what has been previously discussed
and must clearly justify the decision that has been made.

➢ Ethical decisions rarely have pain-free solutions - it might be you have to


choose the solution with the least number of problems / painful
consequences (Rae 2018).

Common questions

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The initial step in Scott Rae's 7-Step Moral Reasoning Model is to 'Gather the Facts.' This step is crucial because it ensures a clear understanding of the moral situation before any analysis or decision-making occurs. Facts clarify whether the dilemma is ethical or related to communication or strategy, providing a solid foundation for impartial reasoning and better decision outcomes .

In Rae's model, facts are vital in distinguishing whether an issue is genuinely ethical or merely a matter of communication or strategy. Gathering comprehensive and accurate facts helps clarify the nature of the dilemma, ensuring that the decision-making process addresses true ethical concerns rather than misdirected strategic or communicative issues .

Ethical decisions might not have pain-free solutions according to Scott Rae's model because they require evaluating competing principles and weighing the consequences of each alternative. It's possible that even the best decision involves some negative outcomes, necessitating choosing the solution with the fewest problems or least painful consequences .

Scott Rae's model emphasizes that for an ethical dilemma to exist, competing interests must be supported by underlying virtues and principles. By identifying these values and determining their sources, such as philosophical principles or cultural norms, the model acknowledges their role in shaping moral choices and emphasizes weighing the importance of different virtues to guide decision-making .

Rae proposes weighing the consequences of alternatives by estimating both positive and negative outcomes, considering the weight of each consequence. Being thorough in this step ensures that decision-making is informed by a comprehensive understanding of potential impacts, aiding in choosing the most beneficial or least detrimental option .

Rae emphasizes understanding the sources of ethical principles as critical, as it shapes how principles are applied to ethical dilemmas. By acknowledging whether principles arise from philosophical, cultural, legal, or religious contexts, decision-makers can accurately weight their applicability and significance in addressing competing interests .

Scott Rae suggests handling alternatives by first listing all possible courses of action and evaluating them against the identified virtues and principles. Alternatives are weighed and potentially eliminated based on how well they satisfy the relevant ethical values, and consequences are considered if a clear decision has not emerged. This thorough analysis ensures the selected course is both practical and ethically sound .

The 7-step model ensures decisions are justified by progressively building a foundation through gathering facts, identifying issues, considering principles, listing alternatives, weighing these alternatives, and assessing consequences. Each step systematically narrows options through ethical evaluation, culminating in a well-justified decision backed by a clear rationalization grounded in ethical reasoning .

Rae's model does not guarantee an absolutely correct moral decision because moral dilemmas often involve competing values that don't yield straightforward answers. His model facilitates asking the right questions and thoroughly analyzing different aspects of the situation, leading to more thoughtful, contextually justified decisions rather than absolute conclusions .

The 7-step model can be applied to real-life cases by systematically following the model's steps in analyzing moral situations. Expected outcomes include clearer understanding of the facts, identification of ethical issues, evaluation of virtues and principles, and justifiable decisions. Such application promotes reasoned analysis and balanced consideration of emotions and logic in moral decision-making .

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