The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions

by Susan Liautaud

Overview

Perfect for your next dinner party discussion, The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions presents some of today’s most thought-provoking ethical questions in a welcoming, easy-to-discuss Q&A format, with guidance from a renowned ethicist.

Often a single question can spark a meaningful exchange—like “Would you apply for a job you know your friend is applying for?” Or “Should voting be mandatory?” Or what about police using facial recognition technology? Questions like these spur us to consider: What would I have done? Is there one correct answer? And ultimately: How can ethics help us navigate these situations to find the best outcome for ourselves and others?

An ethicist who advises leaders and organizations worldwide, Susan Liautaud asks intriguing questions that encourage lively discussion across a range of subjects, from family and friends to health and technology to politics, work, and consumer choices. She then walks through the ways you might approach each situation to find the best answer for you.

Grab the book, gather a few friends, and dive in!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781982132224
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	04/05/2022
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Susan Liautaud is the founder and managing director of Susan Liautaud & Associates Limited, which advises clients from global corporations to NGOs on complex ethics matters. Author of The Power of Ethics and The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions, she also teaches cutting-edge ethics courses at Stanford University and serves as chair of Council of the London School of Economics and Political Science. Liautaud is the founder of the nonprofit platform The Ethics Incubator and chairs a number of global nonprofit boards. She divides her time between Palo Alto, California, and London.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Ethics for Everyone 3

Chapter 1 Family and Friends

Could you be friends with someone whose political views differ from your own? 11

Should you take away the car keys from an elderly parent whose driving may be unsafe? 14

Are you ethically obligated to help a neighbor? 17

Are you ethically bound to pay for your uninsured sibling's medical care for a serious illness or accident? 20

Should you read your child's or teenager's diary or journal? 23

Would you give someone, who has wronged you several times another chance? 27

Are you obligated to give all your children equal shares of your estate? 30

Would you use direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits? 33

Would you tell your friend information about their fiancé you think they should know before getting married? 37

What are the differences between a white lie and a serious ethical transgression? 40

Would you violate your teenager's confidence if not doing so might lead to harm? 43

Would you call the police on a friend you fear might drive under the influence of alcohol? 46

Would you pay, or allow teachers to pay, your children to study or read books? 50

Would you tell-or want to be told- about an affair? 53

Would you return the extra change? 56

Chapter 2 Politics, Community, and Culture

Should we prosecute someone who steals food during a crisis? 63

Do we have a responsibility to speak up if we're in a conversation where racist comments are made? 67

Should voting be mandatory? 70

Should we give money directly to those who are experiencing homelessness? 74

What are the key ethical considerations behind museums returning artifacts to the countries of origin? 77

How should we engage with the works of artists, writers, producers, and actors who commit sexual misconduct? 81

Should there be age limits for U.S. presidential candidates? 84

Should political candidates and initiatives be allowed to accept donations and support from outside the districts, cities, and states in which they're on the ballot? 88

Should college basketball athletes be paid? 92

Should we remove books from bookstores, libraries, internet sales, and reading lists because they are no longer seen as politically correct or culturally acceptable? 96

Is it ethically acceptable to alter your date of birth so that you appear younger (or older) than you are? 100

Should athletes be penalized for using legal marijuana? 103

Is voting-or deciding not to vote-an ethics choice? 107

Chapter 3 Work

What is appropriate behavior in a "business social" setting? 113

Should your employer have a say in what you post on your private social media? 117

What would you do when others take credit for your work? 121

How would you respond if you witnessed a boss sexually harassing or bullying a more junior colleague? 124

Should CEOs speak out about important social and political issues of the day? 127

Would you hire someone who has made a mistake and is looking for a second chance? 130

Are we responsible for acting on information obtained without permission? 133

Would you apply for a job that your friend is also applying for? 137

What are the ethical considerations of blind hiring? 140

Should employers be permitted to consult candidates' social media accounts as part of the recruiting process? 143

Are you obligated to report colleagues having a relationship? 147

Do I need to take unconscious bias training every year? 150

Chapter 4 Technology

Should social media companies shut down accounts of the president of the United States and other political leaders if they incite violence? 155

Would you use the free Spotify service if you knew that artists are penalized financially? 159

Should social media companies be required to offer users the option to pay a fee to avoid receiving targeted advertising? 163

Would you agree to let your elderly loved one be cared for by a robot? 166

Should police departments be allowed to use facial recognition technology? 170

How do we handle the ethics of a deceased loved one's social media accounts? 174

Would you consider using a bot therapist or recommending one for a family member or friend? 178

Do you have an obligation to inform guests that you have a digital assistant on in your home when they visit? 182

Would you use the Robinhood trading app? 185

Should Apple be required to unlock encrypted iPhones at the request of the FBI in an investigation of a terrorist act? 189

Should robots have rights? 193

Chapter 5 Consumer Choices

Should we buy fast fashion? 199

Would you continue to support a nonprofit humanitarian organization that pays an illegal bribe to assure delivery of lifesaving medical treatments? 202

Is purchasing organic food and products a more ethical choice? 206

What are the steps to recovery from an ethics mishap? 210

Are there ethical reasons that would persuade you to consider becoming a vegan? 214

Would you fly on a Boeing 737 Max plane? 217

Should you stop donating to a nonprofit organization if you find out about a sexual misconduct scandal? 221

Should we buy clothing from companies that don't treat the people who work for them properly? 225

Should tax preparation for individual tax returns be free? 229

Should I switch my giving in response to Covid-19 or other emergencies? 233

Does buying (or not buying) a disposable plastic bottle of water really make a difference? 236

Chapter 6 Health

Should organ donation be opt-in or opt-out, from an ethical perspective? 241

Are you ethically obligated to tell your children if you have an inheritable disease? 244

What are the ethical considerations behind informed consent? 247

Would you tell someone who is suffering from dementia when a close relative has died? 250

Would you be in favor of editing the genes of human embryos? 253

What is our ethical responsibility to get vaccinated? 257

Would you want artificial intelligence to contribute to diagnosing your medical condition? 261

Should vaping be banned? 265

How do you decide if you should donate a kidney to a close friend or relative? 269

Conclusion: We Can All Do Ethics 273

The Six Forces Driving Ethics 277

Acknowledgments 281

Notes 285

Editorial Reviews

There is much here to prompt thought and debate...Liautaud doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. What she does do is offer objective ways to look at the dilemmas and the results of our actions. The author reminds us that even the smallest ethical choices are important...This is sure to spark discussion.”
—Booklist

"Liautaud is admirably agnostic, preferring to show how quandaries can be as helpful as definitive answers. This is a perceptive look at how to better approach thinking about and discussing contemporary dilemmas, whether quotidian or consequential."
—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher