Political Pressures in the Life of Ethicists: Opportunities for Professional Moral Development

This symposium highlights the political conflicts, clashing views, ethically problematic laws and regulations and competing pressures that ethicists encounter in professional practice. Viewed through the lens of Rest’s Four Component Model of Morality, the stories illustrate the capacities required for effective professional practice: Are ethicists sensitive to the full range of ethical issues? Are they equipped to reason through complex situations in a principled manner? Do they have a strong ethical and professional identity? Do they have the perseverance, character, and implementation abilities needed to translate their convictions into action? The stories also reveal unsettled problems with respect to the role and responsibilities of the ethicist in contemporary society.