Ethics, morality, and virtue: A foundation for modern

training
By Dr. Bruce Bayley
Training officers to identify and address the broad spectrum of ethical issues theyll face during
the course of their career can be a daunting task. As with any good program, building upon a firm
foundation will strengthen and improve the content being presented, as well as correct the
application of the key principles being taught.
In a vast majority of ethics training today, the concepts of ethics, morality, and virtue are often
used interchangeably. This is a mistake because each of these topics highlights vastly different
concepts that, in the end, actually work in conjunction with each other. To emphasize these
dynamics, however, a definition of each term is needed:
Ethics the philosophical examination of what constitutes right and wrong or good and bad
behavior
Morality the function of applying ethical principles (technically you dont have ethical
behavior, your have moral behavior)
Virtue thought or behavior guided by high moral standards
As you can see, ethics are technically the cognitive assessment of what an officer can or cant do
(or should and shouldnt do), while morality is the actual application of these assessments. A
moral officer takes the ethical concepts and applies them correctly, while an immoral officer does
not.
A virtuous officer moves beyond moral behavior to a higher stage of achievement. We all know
people who do the right thing, but nothing more. Their actions are moral. Then there are those
who go the extra mile. They not only do what is right, but they also set a standard of behavior to
which everyone else can strive. Their actions are virtuous. Remember, you can be moral and not
be virtuous, but you cannot be virtuous without also being moral.
To get a better sense of the relationships between ethics, morality, and virtue, and how these
concepts can be used to strengthen or create a training program, lets refer to the Officer
Behavior Cycle shown in the diagram below:

Stage One: Ethics

For any program to be successful, you must first perform a critical review of what behaviors
your department considers right or good, and then insure your officers are made aware of these
ideals. Many agencies already have a standardized Code of Ethics that outline these concepts, but
keep in mind that your Code of Ethics should be more than a stale document that takes up space
on a wall. Rather, the Code should reflect the current needs and expectations of your officers and
their profession, while at the same time integrating the cultural uniqueness of the community or
environment they serve. Take your time in creating these assessments, because a Code of Ethics
is more than just a statement of what an officer should or shouldnt do; it also sets the foundation
for the second phase of development morality.
Stage 2: Morality
While Ethics forms the main cog in the Officer Behavior Cycle, officers cannot become virtuous
without first addressing morality. Remember, morality isnt only the understanding of the ethical
ideals expressed in your Code of Ethics (such as taking a training class or signing the Code of
Ethics), its also the internalization and practical application of those principles. This is why your
ethical evaluation is so important it drives the application of these principles in day-to-day
interactions and duties. To help reinforce the correct application of these ideals, be sure to
recognize and acknowledge officers who are doing the right thing. By doing this, you not only
highlight moral behavior through positive reinforcement, but at the same time provide
motivation for those in your department to strive towards the third and final stage in the Behavior
Cycle virtue.
Stage 3: Virtue
Before moving on to virtue, its important to emphasize that those officers who, for whatever
reason, stay at Stage 2 are still an asset to your department. Their conduct is in line with the
expectations of your agency and theyre meeting the ethical beliefs that are central to your
mission. Virtuous officers are the gold standard what we should all strive to be. These
individuals are aware of the ethical values outlined in Stage 1, correctly apply them in Stage 2,
and continually strive to exceed them in Stage 3. Ideally, these officers are placed in leadership
positions, from running a module, to overseeing a unit, and finally up to leading your
department. From a training perspective, be sure to set your ideals for virtuous behavior low
enough so the majority of your officers feel that such conduct is doable, but not so low that
everyone can achieve them. As with your Code of Ethics, virtuous attributes should be
periodically reviewed so they continually challenge each person, while at the same time
remaining consistent with your mission and culture.
Conclusion
Although this article focuses primarily on the Officer Behavior Cycle for individuals, keep in
mind that these same principles apply to your department as a whole. When conducting the
philosophical examination of what constitutes right and wrong or good and bad for your officers,
be sure to perform the same assessment for your agency. How should your agency operate as a
whole and what are the guiding principles that direct these actions? Are you taking these
principles and correctly applying them in your interactions with your officers, adjacent agencies,
vendors, political entities, and so on? Finally, what are the virtues that you want your agency to
be known for and how will you strive to achieve them?

By successfully integrating the concepts of ethics, morality, and virtue in your training, both your
officers and your agency will become an ideal that other facilities will strive to match.