Which of the following is a common statement used to neutralize ethical conflict?

Which of the following is a common statement used to neutralize ethical conflict?

• A. Denial of responsibility
• B. Denial of injury
• C. Denial of the victim
• D. Condemnation of the condemners

Answer: (A)

Denial of responsibility is used to neutralize ethical conflict by shifting the cause of the act away from the individual. When someone claims they had little or no choice, were under pressure, or were acting under external influences, they’re telling themselves and others that the wrongdoing wasn’t entirely their decision. This reduces guilt and preserves their self-image while allowing the behavior to occur. This idea comes from techniques that explain how people justify unethical actions. Other statements—like claiming no harm occurred or blaming the victim—serve similar purposes in other situations, but denying personal responsibility is the most common way to shield oneself from moral accountability by attributing the act to forces beyond one’s control.

Denial of responsibility is used to neutralize ethical conflict by shifting the cause of the act away from the individual. When someone claims they had little or no choice, were under pressure, or were acting under external influences, they’re telling themselves and others that the wrongdoing wasn’t entirely their decision. This reduces guilt and preserves their self-image while allowing the behavior to occur.

This idea comes from techniques that explain how people justify unethical actions. Other statements—like claiming no harm occurred or blaming the victim—serve similar purposes in other situations, but denying personal responsibility is the most common way to shield oneself from moral accountability by attributing the act to forces beyond one’s control.