Normative Ethics In

Planning

Elizabeth Howe
Ankit Kumar Shah(074/MSUP/003)

Suman Limbu (074/MSUP/018)

Objective

To critically review the article’s ethical frames of reference applied

in the most influential theories within planning.

To critically examine the arguments provided by the author for

various approaches of normative ethics.

To understand and analyze the strength and weakness of various

approaches of normative ethics in planning.

To provide reflection of normative ethics in Nepalese context after
reviewing the statements and arguments of the author in this
article.
 Types of Ethics
Ethics

Descriptive Analytic Normative

Ethics and Normative Ethics

 Moral values/principles regarding right/wrong; good/bad
 In 1970-80’s : Upsurge of interest in ethics in many professional fields.
 Normative ethics provide “guidelines”, “criteria” for deciding what
makes right acts right
 Normative Ethics
 Normative Ethics is different from Meta-ethics or Descriptive ethics
 Normative Ethics is concerned with standards of rightness and
wrongness
 Meta Ethics is concerned with moral language and moral facts
 Descriptive ethics is concerned with moral beliefs investigation
 For example, descriptive ethics - killing is always wrong

 But normative ethics - if it is correct to hold such belief

 Diversity in Planning Ethics
 Wach’s reader Ethics in Planning covers planning and other policy
field along two dimension :

1. SUBJECT MATTER

a. deal with ethics & values of particular

professions(planning/public administration)
b. Ethical issues(corruption, political pressure on technical
judgements/whistle blowing)

2. METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
 Focus on professions such as planning, policy analysis
 Two approaches – Teleological and Deontological
 The two types of Ethics
1. TELELOGICAL ETHICS
 Goodness of results of actions - consequentialist ethics
 Concerned with output- higher benefits
Types of Teleological Ethics
1. Ethical Egoism
 an action is good if it produces results that maximize the person’s self-
interest as defined by him
2. Utilitarianism
 an action is good if it results in maximum satisfaction for a large number of
people
2. DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS
 Rightness of Action itself
 Concerned with rules governing process than with outcomes
 does not address public policy issues as these are dealt with the consequences
of issues which are meant to be good; the plans, the law
 Fairness and democratic responsiveness
 UTILITARIANISM

 Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that states that the best action is the
one that maximizes utility.
 Classical utilitarianism is universalitic, looking at the consequences of
action for all people affected by decision.
 Mill argues cogently that an individual utilitarian does not have to
consider impacts of all actions on the whole of society.
 The great majority of good actions are intended not for the benefit of the
world but for that of individuals of which the good of the world is made
up and thoughts of most virtuous man need not on these occassions
travel beyond the particular persons concerned.
 The article summarizes on:

Utilitarianism Deontology

Act Act Utilitarianism Act Deontology

Rule Rule Utilitarianism Rule Deontology

 ACT -UTILITARIANISM
 an action is right if it maximizes utility
 Provides central theoretical assumptions in economics and influenced planning
and policy analysis
Criticism of act-utilitarianism
 It is cumbersome
 In terms of distribution of pleasure and pains, it can be seen as unjust.
 Too flexible ( easily allows exceptions to principles)
 Cannot easily deal with collective goods
Problems on act-utilitarianism
 Involves elaborate empirical calculations concerning the impact of every
decision.
 Distributive justice
RULE-UTILITARIANISM
 Form of Utilitarianism that says an action is right as it conforms to a rule that leads
greatest good
 Act-Deontology
 Each act is a unique ethical occasion and a decision must be made by
consulting our conscience and intuition, apart from any rules, which
compares the rightness and wrongness of means rather than ends
 e.g. Intuitionism, code of ethics

Rule-Deontology

 The ethics that accepts the principle of universal law in making

judgement, if the maxim of the action could evaluate the
motivations of actions irrelevant of the end result
 e.g. Kantian theory and Rawls Theory
Author comparative statements and arguments
Utilitarianism Deontology
Goodness of Consequences of Action Rightness of Action
Risk - Being too Flexible Risk - Being too Rigid
Especially suited to the field of politics Appropriate to the legal System
and public policy

Analysis of benefits and costs based on Analysis of rights and responsibilities

logic and welfare of economics, thus drawn from specific conception of
planners emphasized cost-benefit justice, thus planners emphasizing on
calculation equity on environmentalism

It assists in arguing about the benefits It assists in arguing for the rights of
of programs or projects for the trees or endangered species covering
community as a whole – for a planner large-scale public works – for a planner

Greatest good for the greatest number Concern with human dignity, justice and
collective goods, Rawls idea of benefit
to the least advantaged gruops
 Author Findings of Both
Approaches
Utilitarianism Deontology

Act Act Utilitarianism Act Deontology

Rule Rule Utilitarianism Rule Deontology

• Two Great and Dominant Traditions – Act Utilitarianism and Rule

Deontology
 Author Findings of Both
Approaches
 As per the author, Deontological ethics are the “ethics” which
people generally think, as it focuses on what is wrong and what is
right , not benefit and harm
 In Utilitarianism, “the right” is identified with “the good”, whereas
in deontological theories, the two concepts are separate.
 But the professional planners rarely uses deontological, mostly they
use teleological approach
 The planners have lack of interest of deontological approach to
policy issues, though deontological ethics relates to the problem of
collective goods which are discussed during planning
 Deontological ethics does not address public policy issues but the
Teleological does as public issues are dealt with the consequences
which are meant to be good such as the plans, the law
Author Findings of Both
Approaches
 Just as deontologists do, rule-utilitarian’s have to deal
with the problems of how generally rules should be
specified.
 Kant’s theory, as his theory states the maxim of an
action for the categorical imperative which is
evaluation of the motives of an action as an universal
law, has included two forms to same ideas
 One perfect duty and
 The other imperfect duty,
where exceptions are not allowed in the first case
while the exceptions are allowed in the second case
 Author Arguments
 Planners must consider both environmental concerns and the efficiency of
policy, though their way of operations could be different
 Problems of using both way theories
 Rationality in results would be reduced instead of increasing it
 Difficult to carry out than its initial appearances suggest

 Bentham’s statement of “the greatest happiness for the greatest

number”, contains a logical problem, as per the author
 It is impossible to maximize both the happiness and the number of
people affected, and the author suggests that Bentham may simply
have meant to the maximum happiness of all people
Author’s Conclusion on article
 Each person have a mind-set, that favors a teleological
or deontological approach, but are hardly aware of
 Trainings develop these mind sets and its implications in
professional practice such as planning
 Presently, utilitarianism is implemented by teaching
cost-benefit analysis, not as an ethical analysis, but as
an economic analysis
 Less attention are given to rights and duties courses
related to environmental of social planning
 IMPLICATIONS
 Teleological Approach
 Kathmandu Valley Master Plan by Carl Pruscha
 Lumbini Master Plan by Kenzo Tange
 Deontological Approach
 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)/ Initial Environmental Examination
(IEE), its approval before implementation of projects
 Mid-way between Teleological and Deontological
 A project which includes both Detailed Project Report and EIA, for example,
the Industrial District Feasibility Study, DPR and EIA project conducting by
IDML at Daiji, Kanchanpur
 Integrated Action Plan
 IAP – Various concrete (visible or tangible) actions are adopted and put
into implementation to respond to goal or policy challenge
Thank You 