Rethinking Ethics in Psychology

"Ethics is always about values. In psychology, as in most professions, students are often taught to approach ethics through three frameworks: Virtue ethics (What kind of person should I be?) Deontology (What duties must I follow?) Utilitarianism (What outcome will maximize the good?) Each offers a way of defining "the good." These approaches remain useful, helping psychologists clarify responsibilities, make difficult decisions, and justify their reasoning."

"What if we made attention -the genuine act of perceiving and staying present in situations-the starting point of ethics, rather than rules or outcomes? Ethics as Attention The philosopher Simone Weil wrote, "Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity." For Weil, paying attention is already an ethical act. It means suspending assumptions long enough to notice what is truly happening. This matters as much in the consulting room as in the classroom."

"A psychologist who pays close attention can tell when silence means something, when irritation masks fear, or when something important goes unsaid. No code of ethics tells you how to respond in these moments. Paying attention is the ethical act. In contrast, when we rely too heavily on abstract frameworks, we risk skipping over this important stage of perception. We rush to categorize, justify, or resolve. Ethics then becomes about defending an action rather than sensing what a situation is calling for."

Ethics centers on values and is often taught through virtue ethics, deontology, and utilitarianism, each defining what is "good." These frameworks help clarify responsibilities, guide difficult decisions, and justify reasoning, yet they can be used to rationalize predetermined positions. Attention as an ethical stance prioritizes perceiving and staying present in situations before applying rules or outcomes. Paying attention involves suspending assumptions to notice silence, masked emotions, or what goes unsaid, enabling responsive action that codes cannot prescribe. Overreliance on abstract frameworks risks skipping perception and turning ethics into defense rather than responsiveness to situational cues.

Read at Psychology Today