Flowchart

Searing, "The HARPS Methodology"

award Notable for its rigor and completeness, for flowcharting the entire decision process, for including conceptual analysis, for using effective conflict-resolution procedures, for coping with missing facts ("holes"), and for permitting backtracking

SOURCE FOR THE PROCEDURE

indentSearing, Donald R. HARPS Ethical Analysis Methodology: Method Description. Taknosys Software Corporation, 1998. See http://www.taknosys.com/ethics/harps.htm for a summary. This methodology is implemented in the Ethos software system. A demonstration version is available. The HARPS methodology emerged from the Engineering Ethics program at Texas A and M University, and is based on the work of Charles E. Harris, Michael S. Pritchard and Michael J. Rabins:

THE PROCEDURE ITSELF

Disclaimer
  1. Collect information.
  2. Select a moral agent.
    1. For consistency, adopt the point of view of this agent for the remainder of this procedure.
    2. Explain the moral agent's role in the decision.
    3. Explain the moral agent's viewpoint, including relevant information available exclusively to the moral agent.
  3. List known relevant facts.
    1. List the facts available firsthand from the case.
    2. List the additional facts that were found in sources outside the situation, if any.
    3. Ensure that the facts listed are relevant to the case and non-controversial.
  4. Make factual assumptions.
    1. Find the fact "holes" (missing facts) in the case.
    2. Determine if the fact can be resolved or whether an assumption needs to be made.
      • If it can be resolved, do the research and record the resolution.
      • If it cannot be resolved through research, then develop an assumption to resolve the factual issue.
  5. List conceptual issues.
    1. Find the terms or concepts in the case that are controversial.
    2. Find the terms or concepts in the case that are unclear.
  6. Define these concepts.
    1. Develop definitions for the terms at issue.
    2. Determine whether or not the developed definition for the term is applicable to the case.
  7. List moral issues ("Is it morally permissible to do action X?").
  8. Select one or more methods of analysis.
    1. Perform conflict resolution.
      1. Rank conflicting obligations according to the strength of the obligation.
      2. Find a "creative middle way" that fulfills the greatest number of the highly ranked obligations.
      3. If this fails, make a hard choice.
    2. Perform line-drawing analysis.
      1. By adding or subtracting morally relevant features, create a series of new cases.
      2. Arrange these cases in an ethical continuum, from positive to negative.
      3. Where would the present case fit in this continuum?
        • If closer to the positive end, then the action is morally permissible.
        • If closer to the negative end, then the action is not morally permissible.
    3. Perform utilitarian analysis.
      1. Select one or more of the utilitarian tests.
        • Perform the "act utilitarian" test.
        • Perform the "rule utilitarian" test.
        • Perform cost/benefit analysis.
      2. Determine whether the tests agree.
        • If the tests agree, select the option with the greatest net increase in utility.
        • If the tests disagree, resolve the conflict.
          • Weight the tests.
          • Rely on the test with the greatest weight, selecting the option emerging from it.
    4. Perform respect-for-persons analysis.
      1. Select one or more of the respect-for-person tests.
        • Perform the rights test.
        • Perform the "golden rule" test.
        • Perform the self-defeating" test.
      2. Determine whether the tests agree.
        • If the tests agree, select the option that passed all the tests.
        • If the tests disagree, resolve the conflict.
          • Weight the tests.
          • Rely on the test with the greatest weight, selecting the option that passed the highest-weighted test.
  9. Negotiate a conclusion based on the solutions provided by the methods of analysis.

WALT'S CHECKLIST

The same checklist was applied to all procedures.
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