Appeal to Higher Loyalties

Appeal to Higher Loyalties

For this next post in our rationalization series, we will address “Appeal to Higher Loyalties”. The Business Ethics Field Guide describes this principle in the following manner: “Ethical dilemmas often require you to choose one value over another. This makes appealing to your higher loyalties a particularly effective neutralization technique. You’ll know you’re in this trap when you feel fine about doing harm on the way to achieving or honoring something important to you.”

Appealing to higher loyalties is a tricky neutralization technique. As most of us know, ethical decisions are rarely black and white, often tempting us to choose one specific value over other important values. Click HERE to watch a dramatization of a real-life scenario in which someone appealed to his higher loyalties. This historical example shows just how difficult and troubling this neutralization technique can be.

Want to learn more about this technique and others? Grab a copy of The Business Ethics Field Guide today!