Unedited 11/23/08
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Ethical Moment: The moment in which a business person decides one course of action over another determined by the prevailing force on their thinking. For example, a contractor is working with an elderly client whom they could easily take advantage of. Which way will their ethical reasoning go? Many contractors would steer an ethical course and avoid getting into exploitive behaviors. But, if the force on the business persons thinking is bankruptcy the ethical moment may be heavily influenced by this fact. This is not to support the ideal of ethical relativism rather to point to a moment in time where crucial decisions are made and perhaps why they are made. In criminal cultures the business person might conduct an orderly and fair business in the eyes of the public. But, when collegial loyalty comes into play the ethical moment (the deciding moment) is determined by friendship alone. Other forces strongly influencing the ethical moment might be a commitment to the community, fairness, religious values or on the other hand the emotions of greed, ego and the like.