“Moral Decoupling”
Early this morning I was listening to a newscast about the process of Canada deciding whether to sell military equipment to Saudi Arabia even knowing that those weapons are being used in a way which is, at best, morally questionable to many Canadians. One of the primary concerns is the economic impact on some Canadians if a decision is made to cancel the agreement to sell this military equipment. Recently the president of the United States defended the sales of arms to Saudi Arabia on the basis of the profit which United States companies would make as a result of the sale. There are many other examples of us humans deciding to directly or indirectly support behavior which seems to conflict with stated moral or ethical values.
Later, when at the gym I was listening to a recent broadcast of Hidden Brain with host Shankar Vedantum entitled “I Buy. Therefore I am”. His guest was Americus Reed, professor of marketing at the Universit6y of Pennsylvania. I found the program fascinating for many reasons, but I was part6cularly interested in a term Professor Reed used, “moral decoupling” which refers to the phenomenon of becoming so identified with a brand that if one has to choose because the brand and a moral or ethical belief one will, at best, have a difficult time. In some ways the dilemma of whether to make a profit or trust and support a decision to forego profit even if it means some economic hardship or the more sharing of resources is very similar. It also seems to me that attachment to a particular religion, a political party, an employer or a political leader may entail moral decoupling.
Of course, all of us know that any relationship between two or people; among a body politic or any other group which has a commitment to work together requires compromises. There is, however, usually an implicit understanding that some core beliefs will not be compromised or violated.
Decisions such as selling arms because not doing so would require an increase in sharing of available resources may go beyond compromise to that of moral decoupling. If I am using the term the way it was intended moral decoupling required that one ignore or disobey a core belief or moral principle. We in the United States and elsewhere may have reached a point in our personal lives and our body politic when suspension of a core belief to allow one to have absolute allegiance to a brand, person, political party or an employer may be common place. Obviously moral decoupling is not a new practice. It may, however, be both more prevalence, more public and accomplished with less sense of duplicity or contradiction; with less need to even give the appearance of needing to pretend as if one is not violating a core value.
I cannot accept that this willingness or ability will bode well for the human race long term. While the ability to morally decouple may be expedient and even understandable, one is left with the question of whether there are any core values or, as Grandma Fannie may have asked, “is nothing sacred?”
Written July 5, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
Coacpickett.org
Early this morning I was listening to a newscast about the process of Canada deciding whether to sell military equipment to Saudi Arabia even knowing that those weapons are being used in a way which is, at best, morally questionable to many Canadians. One of the primary concerns is the economic impact on some Canadians if a decision is made to cancel the agreement to sell this military equipment. Recently the president of the United States defended the sales of arms to Saudi Arabia on the basis of the profit which United States companies would make as a result of the sale. There are many other examples of us humans deciding to directly or indirectly support behavior which seems to conflict with stated moral or ethical values.
Later, when at the gym I was listening to a recent broadcast of Hidden Brain with host Shankar Vedantum entitled “I Buy. Therefore I am”. His guest was Americus Reed, professor of marketing at the Universit6y of Pennsylvania. I found the program fascinating for many reasons, but I was part6cularly interested in a term Professor Reed used, “moral decoupling” which refers to the phenomenon of becoming so identified with a brand that if one has to choose because the brand and a moral or ethical belief one will, at best, have a difficult time. In some ways the dilemma of whether to make a profit or trust and support a decision to forego profit even if it means some economic hardship or the more sharing of resources is very similar. It also seems to me that attachment to a particular religion, a political party, an employer or a political leader may entail moral decoupling.
Of course, all of us know that any relationship between two or people; among a body politic or any other group which has a commitment to work together requires compromises. There is, however, usually an implicit understanding that some core beliefs will not be compromised or violated.
Decisions such as selling arms because not doing so would require an increase in sharing of available resources may go beyond compromise to that of moral decoupling. If I am using the term the way it was intended moral decoupling required that one ignore or disobey a core belief or moral principle. We in the United States and elsewhere may have reached a point in our personal lives and our body politic when suspension of a core belief to allow one to have absolute allegiance to a brand, person, political party or an employer may be common place. Obviously moral decoupling is not a new practice. It may, however, be both more prevalence, more public and accomplished with less sense of duplicity or contradiction; with less need to even give the appearance of needing to pretend as if one is not violating a core value.
I cannot accept that this willingness or ability will bode well for the human race long term. While the ability to morally decouple may be expedient and even understandable, one is left with the question of whether there are any core values or, as Grandma Fannie may have asked, “is nothing sacred?”
Written July 5, 2019
Jimmy F Pickett
Coacpickett.org
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