Ethical Principles to Guide Us

In this blog entry, we will discuss six ethical principles that Aspergians should use to guide their attitudes and behaviors when dealing with the world.

The first principle to guide us is the Golden Rule.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  The Golden Rule is the principle to guide our sense of justice and fairness.  We must put ourselves in the place of others.  If we think of ourselves as the subject of any decision we make, then we can think more about fairness in the decision-making process.

The second principle to guide us is Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative.  If an action is not right for everyone to take, then it is not right for anyone to take.  Aspergians have absolutely no tolerance for any form of hypocrisy.  If everyone were to take a particular action, what would our organization, or society, be like?  Let this be fair warning to those in positions of authority over our lives, such as parents, teachers, employers, and civil authorities.  Don’t ever let us catch you doing something that you specifically tell us not to do.  The familiar argument that “rank has its privileges” does not go over well with our sense of justice and fairness.

The third principle to guide us is Descartes’ Rule of Change.  If an action cannot be taken repeatedly, then it is not right to be taken at any time.  Another name for this principle is “The Slippery Slope Principle.”  An action may bring about a small change that is acceptable in the short term, but if repeated would bring about unacceptable changes in the long term.  We must be very careful about the precedents we set for those who follow us.

The fourth principle to guide us is the Utilitarian Principle.  Take the action that achieves the higher or greater value.  This rule assumes that we can prioritize values in a rank order and understand the consequences of various courses of action.  This principle is reflected in our desire to dispense with the small talk and social pleasantries…and get down to business.

The fifth principle to guide us is the Risk Aversion Principle.  Take the action that causes the least amount of harm or incurs the least potential cost to yourself and others.

The sixth principle to guide us is the Ethical “No Free Lunch” Rule.  Assume that all tangible and intangible objects are owned by someone else, unless there is a specific declaration otherwise, and that the creator wants compensation for this work.  The in-text citations you see throughout this book, along with the bibliography at the end, are evidence of my effort to comply with this rule so as to avoid any appearance of plagiarism on my part.