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Article Review
Misti Walker
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The Ethical Mind - Howard Gardner
psychologist explains what it means to have an ethical mind. He points out that the
ethical mind is different than the other four types of minds that people should hone in
• The disciplined mind – the mind that keeps us on track and motivated to achieve
goals
• The synthesizing mind – the mind that absorbs information, weeds out useless
• The creating mind – the mind that is constantly discovering, looking for new ideas
and designing
• The respectful mind – the mind that is open to new experiences and ideas and
However, these minds are not to be confused with the ethical mind. The ethical
mind is much more abstract than any of the others. It is an idea that is built on respect
for others but delves deeper by looking at the big picture. Dr. Gardner goes on to cite
whistleblowers as an example of the ethical mind. Employees who blow the whistle are
not being respectful to those they turn in. Rather, the whistleblower is more concerned
with the effects the misdeeds may have on society or the company as a whole. Risking
their job and financial security is never comfortable but whistleblowers feel they must
report actions that threaten the livelihood of the company, public, and/or shareholders.
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The ethical mind is said to begin to develop during childhood, as children
observe their parents, older siblings, and other role models. If children observe people
who are open-minded, kind, and are perceived as “playing fair”, they are more likely to
grow up and exhibit the same attributes. It is worth mentioning that peers also play an
important role in the development of these attributes, during the teen years especially.
Also important is the surrounding community; studies show that places where the
community pulls together to provide services and programs to others produce children
As with nearly everything else, the ethical mind will deteriorate unless it is properly
mind is your peers. If your fellow students are cheating, you might think it socially
acceptable to follow suit. Likewise, in the workplace, if your boss is tweaking the
numbers but it works out to your mutual advantage, will you say anything? On the other
hand, if your boss displays equity, kindness, and efficiency, you are likely to exhibit
these traits.
How does one safeguard oneself from the erosion of their ethical mind? Gardner
states that it helps to do the right thing when you are a part of an organization that has a
unified mission and everyone is harmoniously working toward a unified goal. Absent
this, workers can periodically take a moral inventory to ensure that they haven’t gotten
off track. However, Gardner warns that people can be self-delusional and thus may
three different types of advisors. First, you need a confidant from within the
organization. Next, you need a pragmatic friend outside of the organization. Last, you
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need an independent board. Recently, this notion has played out on the news in the
selection of the Cabinet by President Barack Obama. Many critics surfaced when the
President tapped Hillary Clinton, his former opponent, for Secretary of State. The press
immediately referred to his choices as a “team of rivals”, citing his and Clinton’s very
public disagreements on policy that came out during the primaries. Obama,
nonplussed, claims that he hopes to surround himself with people of all different
Perhaps Obama should also take Gardner’s advice when he speaks of the merit of
periodic review. At times, a leader should step back and contemplate if the organization
is still progressing towards its broad goal. In Obama’s case, bringing America back to
This article seemed a little disjointed to me. It jumped back and forth between ideas.
Otherwise, I think the author did a good job of dumbing down the philosophy ideas for
MBA students. Probably a good idea, since we all cheat all the time anyway.lol