The TET for Ethical Choice

Step 1: Determine the TET Axes

A general explanation of the Typology Essences Table is provided here.

The X-axis measures the social result from choosing ethically. The ethical realm exists to protect the community from the frailties and vices of its members, and to contribute to a vision of a good person living in a good and just society. So we can capture the social issue for personal choice through noting whether, and how much, other people are given care and consideration.

Nature of quadrants in the Typology Essences Table for Ethical Choice Approaches with Y-Axis: Self-Awareness, and X-Axis: Benefit for Others.

The ethical requirement seems to be to benefit others whenever possible, so:

X-axis NAME = Benefit for Others.

The Y-axis measures the psychological requirement applied when choosing ethically. Deciding and acting under an ethical obligation requires that I reflect, e.g. I must be aware of things like:

  • My obligations in regard to doing what is right and good.
  • My choice's effects to benefit or harm others, or indeed myself.
  • The judgement of my actions by myself and others.
  • My conscience: I must defend my choice and live with it.

Being aware seems to be the mental tool or psychological means to produce the X-axis output of benefiting others, so:

Y-Axis NAME = Self-awareness.

Step 2 is to plot the ethical choice approaches into the 4 TET quadrants shown in the diagram.

Originally posted: July 2009; Last updated: 27 Jan 2010