Some Fundamental Issues in Geoethics

David Abbott

doi:10.4401/ag-7407

Abstract

Ethics and morals concern themselves with distinguishing right from wrong, with actions, and with the volition involved. Dictionaries define “ethics” in terms of “morals” and “morals” in terms of “ethics,” so the terms are quite similar and circular. I define “morals” as informal statements and “ethics” as written statements adopted by some group. General morals apply to everyone while professional ethics generally apply only to members of a particular profession. Moral and ethical analysis requires careful and consistent discrimination of the relevant facts. It is important to remember that moral/ethical analysis does not resolve all questions because different people rank moral/ethical values differently. We must respectfully agree to disagree. Moral/ethical rules apply to all persons at all times. However, exceptions are allowed following careful analysis of the exception. For example, surgeons are allowed to cut people open, most of us are not allowed to do so. Moral/ethical aspirations are statements encouraging a particular activity but no demerits follow from choosing to follow one aspiration and not another. Continuing professional development (CPD) provides an example. Geoscience ethics codes all recommend CPD, which is aspirational. For those societies that require some minimum amount of CPD, an aspiration has become a rule. Honesty is the principal geoscience ethical rule. Some geoscience societies have disciplinary procedures, most do not; nor should they. Disciplinary procedures must allow for due process and appropriate confidentiality until resolved.

Highlights

Because dictionary definitions of “morals” and “ethics” tend to define one term using the other, a circular argument, I define morals as informal statements about what people are expected to do and ethics as written statements prepared by some group like a geoscience society that describe the conduct expectations for members of the issuing group
Discussions of geoscience ethics or geoethics should be grounded in general morality
Moral rules must be obeyed by all people with respect to all other people all the time

Summary

BASICS OF MORALITY AND ETHICS

Because dictionary definitions of “morals” and “ethics” tend to define one term using the other, a circular argument, I define morals as informal statements about what people are expected to do and ethics as written statements prepared by some group like a geoscience society that describe the conduct expectations for members of the issuing group. Do not deceive is emphasized because I believe that honesty is the basic moral principle underlying all geoscience ethics codes (Abbott, 2004). For these organizations, CPD has become an ethical rule for the specified membership classes. Demonstrating the reliability of sampling results through the use of Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) procedures has become required practice in the mining industry in recent years and should be applied to any sampling program (Abbott, 2007 & 2016a) Such QA/QC procedures appear to violate the honesty principle by concealing the identity of the standard, duplicate, and blank QA/QC samples in a sample stream from those further down the sample preparation and analysis procedures performance line. 10.2 If, after having given his/her advice, a geologist becomes aware that it will not be entirely followed, he/she should, regardless of his/her own position, inform the relevant person of the foreseen risks

TO WHOM DO ETHICS CODES APPLY?

MORAL AND ETHICAL ANALYSIS

DOES HAVING A CODE OF ETHICS REQUIRE DISCIPLINE?