Implicit Bias And Ethical Frameworks According To Robertson Davies

Nautika Crenshaw
Essay 4 Ethics of Science According to Robertson Davies, “The eyes see only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” Implicit bias and ethical frameworks are used daily with some people not even realizing. Both of these play a huge role in a person’s decision making process. Some decisions that are made or good while some aren’t good, but the person does not even realize the bad in what they did. Over the course of this semester, we have learned about multiple different frameworks. The ethical frameworks discussed were virtuous, kanatian and consequentialism. All of these frameworks are different in their own
way. One is all about being kind and helpful while the other is solely based on what is beneficial to them. The first framework discussed was virtuous.
A virtuous is all about being morally good. Being a virtuous is all about being open and honest with people, no matter what the situation may be. It is best to be open and honest, because it allows people to not make same mistakes twice. Truthful and respectful is what makes a virtuous unique, because many people are not like them. The second framework discussed was kanatian. A kanatian is all about righteousness of their own actions. All about being open and straightforward then to suffer the consequences of a lie. Making the best decision is better than trying to please everyone else. If you are happy with the choice, then it does not matter what no one else
thinks. The last framework discussed was consequentialism. A consequentialism is all about people being judged by their consequences and not their actions. Helping people is what they are all about despite whatever might happen. As long as they have helped someone, then they are happy. Their main focus is to make the people happy. Implicit bias is the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner (Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity). Majority of the time people do not even realize that they are being bias. It is when something is unfavorable or unintentional. For example, when people are judged based off their skin color or simply off the way that they look. People judge others just by looking at them and that is implicit bias, because you are stereotyping them off the way they look. People should not be judged off the way they look, because that is something they cannot control. In this day and age it would be extremely beneficial if people were not bias towards minorities, especially towards African Americans. African Americans are presented with implicit bias every day from our managers, police officers and even people on the streets we do not know. Innocent people are being killed due to implicit bias, because they are stereotyped and then not even given a chance to talk before being maliciously killed. With all this racism going on in the world, people being bias and stereotyping only makes it worst. The implicit associations we harbor in our subconscious cause us to have feelings and attitudes about other people based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, age, and appearance. These associations develop over the course of a lifetime beginning at a very early age through exposure to direct and indirect messages. In addition to early life experiences, the media and news programming are often-cited origins of implicit associations (Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity). With all that we know about ethical frameworks and implicit bias, then you know it all somehow goes together. For example you can have a virtuous who is all about being truthful and respectful, but do not even realize they are being bias. Ethical framework and implicit bias plays a huge part in one’s decision making. People make decisions based off their ethical frameworks and also by what is going on at that time. Someone could think they are making the best and morally right decision, simply because it is morally acceptable but it is bias towards someone. One decision can be great to them but can affect someone else in a negative way. With all that being said, many factors can affect an individual scientist decision making.
Many factors can include if it is morally acceptable or is it implicit bias. The choices made can be based of some of the ethical frameworks learned. As a virtuous your decision could be based off being open and honest. With being open and honest that could lead to implicit bias as well. Implicit bias people are very persuasive and can persuade you to think their choice is right, even when you know it is wrong you still believe it. There are multiple factors of implicit bias that could interfere with an individual scientist decision making. Some of those factors include, persuasiveness, mental constructs, declared beliefs and malleable. Malleable is formed when something is unlearned through a series of techniques (Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity). Knowing what implicit bias is will allow people to stop doing it. When having a full understanding of implicit bias and why it is done, will help someone when it is time to decision make. Instead of looking at implicit bias for a decision, you would then just rely on the ethical frameworks to make the best
decision. “It's not at all hard to understand a person; it's only hard to listen without bias,” said Criss Jami. With the full understanding of what implicit bias and ethical frameworks are, it is now easier to be able to make a good decision. Those two come together even though they are total opposite. One is about being open and honest, while the other is about people being stereotyped and judged. Being judged solely off things that cannot be changed or fixed. Even though implicit bias will never stop, it would be better if people could try not to do it. Many factors help people make the best choices and decisions in life. It is best to make decisions that are best for you even though it might not be good for anyone else.

Works Cited
“Bias Quotes (375 Quotes).” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/bias.

“Understanding Implicit Bias.” Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity,
kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/research/understanding-implicit-bias/.