Reflections and Questions on Ethics

By Major-General Marc Terreau, CMM, CD (Retired)

Ethics and integrity are not just fads, as some cynics would say. Humans have been debating virtuous behaviour and working for the good for at least 2500 years.1 Yet, we are often falling short of the good. Why is that?

Over the years I have dealt with leaders, great and poor, and observed ethical dilemmas played out in various settings. My observations have been primarily in the public sector including the Armed Forces as well as in the not-for-profit sector where I have worked with numerous organizations. I have also had the opportunity to work with certified fraud examiners in both the private and public sectors. This paper is not necessarily the summa of my journey in the field of applied ethics; rather it is a series of observations that have impacted my perception on how to do the right thing and do things right. In my involvement with organizations such as the Ethics Practitioners’ Association of
Canada2 and in establishing a formal ethics program in the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, I have faced a number of important questions. Regrettably, I have not  always found suitable and useful answers to these questions. One can only do the best possible with what is available at the time.

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