Int. SOUNDSTAGE - DAY
A bright spotlight illuminates an oversaturated soundstage. A host’s podium stands stage left. Another podium stands stage right with three stools behind it. A large plush chair sits center stage with a microphone on it. An illuminated yellow sign is at the back of the stage in front of a black curtain. The sign reads Is it Ethical?
 

V.O.
Welcome to Is it Ethical? The game show where you, the audience, help our contestant to decide on the most ethically sound decision for their problem.
 

Now, please welcome your host— Aristotle!
 

ARISTOTLE, a middle-aged man with a strong Greek accent, decked in robes, saunters onto the stage. 

ARISTOTLE
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen! Today, we’ve got quite the ethical dilemma for you to consider, coming to us all the way from Florida. Here to explain is today’s contestant- Alice Cruse!
 

ALICE, a 20-something-year-old ginger tabloid editor comes out from behind the curtain and makes her way to the plush chair. She grabs the microphone from it and takes a seat.

ALICE
Thanks Aristotle, happy to be here. So, I’m the editor of a tabloid back in Florida. We’ve got just one columnist — Francine Fabbro, who’s been doing this really popular senior living column for like, almost 40 years now.
 

Anyway, I’ve recently started getting emails saying Francine has been plagiarizing some of her columns— and they’ve got evidence to prove it. And one of these emails is even demanding a public retraction and apology.
 

So I sat down with Francine, and of course I let her go. But now she’s begging me to keep it on the down-low, saying it’ll ruin her life and she’s been dealing with all these health problems lately and that’s the only reason she did this… but I don’t know. I feel like I’ve got an obligation to tell the public too.
 

What should I do?
 

ARISTOTLE

(to Alice) Well, I certainly have my own opinions on that, and while I shan’t stay silent on the matter, I shan’t let myself rush into speaking either. The virtue of patience lies in the middle ground, so I will allow you first to hear from my fellow philosophers.
 

(turning to the audience) Let’s meet them now! First up, all the way from the British Isles, it’s John Stuart Mill!
 

MILL, a well-dressed balding man, comes out from behind the curtain and comes to sit on the first stool.

MILL
(in a noticeable English accent) Hello. ARISTOTLE From Germany, it’s Immanuel Kant!
KANT, in a powdered wig and a fine jacket, makes his way to the second stool.

KANT
(in a heavy German accent) Guten Tag.
 

ARISTOTLE
And finally, from across the pond in the U.S.A., it’s Carol Gilligan!
 

GILLIGAN, a smiling woman with loose hair, steps over to the third stool.
 

GILLIGAN
(in a bright American accent) Good afternoon.
 

ARISTOTLE
Welcome philosophers. Alice, who would you like to hear from first?
 

ALICE
Well, as the editor, I guess my biggest concern is about the public and our readers, so…

MILL
(standing) As it should rightfully be. Alice, the concern should be with the largest party involved. Think of the greatest good for the greatest number. Ms. Fabbro may be hurt by your outing the details behind her dismissal to the public, but consider the vast number of your readers who you will be disregarding in favor of her wishes—
 

KANT
(standing ) —If I may interrupt
 

MILL
It seems you already are.
 

KANT
(ignoring that comment)I believe immediately jumping to the conclusion of helping only the largest group is rather nearsighted. We should be viewing Ms. Fabbro as an end, rather than a means.
 

MILL
Ms. Fabbro is one person. Her readership could be hundreds, even thousands. These are not insignificant numbers—

KANT
—but consider. If any one of those hundreds of thousands of people were in Ms. Fabbro’s shoes, would they not also wish to be considered? Put yourself in Ms. Fabbro’s shoes, Mr. Mill, and think how you would wish to be treated yourself.
 

MILL
Well, I—
 

GILLIGAN
(standing) Excuse me, gentleman. But I would like to touch on another point. I seem to remember, Alice, that you alluded to the fact that Ms. Fabbro dealt with some health problems and that is what led her to plagiarize some of the stories. I think first and foremost it’s important to acknowledge what Ms. Fabbro is dealing with.
 

MILL
That seems irrelevant. Her entire readership has been deceived.
 

KANT
While I do agree with viewing the more humanistic side of Ms. Fabbro, I must agree, we cannot ignore the severity of her actions.
 

GILLIGAN
And that is not what I’m insinuating. Ms. Fabbro has already been let go. But in choosing the approach we take now, we must consider Ms. Fabbro’s lived experience. Alice, as a woman yourself I’m sure on some level you can understand—
 

ARISTOTLE
I feel I have been sufficiently patient. Alice, whatever your decision, it must be done with the intention to flourish. As a good editor, I’m sure it is in your character to value fairness and openness. Based on your character, then would the correct decision not be to be transparent with your readership?

MILL
Finally, someone who makes sense.
 

ARISTOTLE
Rest assured, my conclusion is not based on your reasoning.
 

KANT
I’m not sure I agree with your reasoning either, Aristotle. You seem to be far more concerned with what Alice’s decision means for her character as a whole rather than what the consequences of this specific action will be.
 

ARISTOTLE
But her character should be the primary motivator in making the correct decision. Consider my golden mean: to not inform the public about Ms. Fabbro’s deception at all is dishonest. But to air out her wrongdoings in an overly drawn-out manner could be considered exploitative of a suffering woman. Both of these are vices. Alice’s good character means she should find pleasure in discovering and employing the virtue that lies between them. (A bell rings. This signals the philosophers, all on their feet at this point, to return, grumbling amongst themselves, back to their stools. Aristotle returns to the podium.)
 

ARISTOTLE
And with that, we’ve arrived at the end of our show. So, do you know what you’re going to do now, Alice? (Alice, who has been looking very frazzled to be at the center of all this debate, hesitantly looks around)
 

ALICE
Can I, uh, phone a friend?
 

THE END

Characters: 

MACKENZIE, Client 
CAROL GILLIGAN, Partner 
JOHN STUART MILLS, Manager
IMMANUEL KANT, Senior Consultant
WILLIAM DAVID ROSS, Consultant

Scene & Time 

INTERIOR 

It’s a chilly night in downtown Chicago. The whole city seems to be asleep despite a faint light shining from a building in the Financial District. Gathered around a round table are the people that make up one of America’s most successful consulting firms. They’ve been hired by a small entertainment tabloid in Florida to debate whether the news outlet will acknowledge the plagiarism that’s conspired to its readers. 

MACKENZIE

I suppose you’re wondering why I’ve gathered you all here today … 

[CAROL GILLIGAN] interrupts MACKNEZIE and closes the door.

CAROL GILLIGAN

Let’s cut the theatrics. All of us sitting here are well versed in your case and are waiting to go back to our families at home. Well, I should say the ones with families to go back too. 

[IMMANUEL KANT] scoffs.

IMMANUEL KANT

My choice to not engage in the world of procreation doesn’t concern anyone but myself.

CAROL GILLIGAN

That’s because you don’t have anyone to consult on the matter. 

JOHN STUART MILLS

Enough. We are a consulting firm. Not a “let’s air out our dirty laundry to our clients” firm. You two need to cut it out and focus on the matter at hand. My sincerest apologies MACKENZIE. They are usually more professional than this. 

[JOHN STUART MILLS] shoots a dirty look to both CAROL GILLIGAN

and IMMANUEL KANT. 

MACKENZIE

It was quite entertaining, but you are right JOHN STUART MILLS. I didn’t fly all this way to not leave with some answers. I’m stuck at a crossroads between hurting someone I’ve depended on and the people that depend on me. It’s my employee’s peace of mind versus my tabloid’s integrity. I just simply don’t know what to do.

GILLIGAN

Sounds like you’ve quite the dilemma there. 

[IMMANUEL KANT] rolls his eyes. 

IMMANUEL KANT

Here we go. You just can’t go one meeting without bringing up the word dilemma, can you? 

WILLIAM DAVID ROSS 

I’m just doing my job but the answer to your question is no. As long as competition exists between the ethical values of right and good, I will always bring it up. 

MACKENZIE 

What do you mean by good and right? I was under the impression those things are synonymous.

WILLIAM DAVID ROSS

I’m so glad you asked. “Good” in this sense is the objective, identifiable quality that is centered around well-being, happiness, virtue and more. In your situation, the “Good” part of you wants to refrain from causing Francine any more pain despite the position she put you in. CAROL 

GILLIGAN 

Put yourself in her shoes. She’s battling with health issues that have resulted in a shift in her focus. I’d like to think that she was desperate to keep her job but knew she didn’t have time to crank out stories. 

WILLAIM DAVID ROSS

Exactly. That’s the “Good” side of this struggle. In her time working for your tabloid, a relationship 

formed. However, the “Good” competes with what is deemed “Right” which has to do with moral obligation and duties you possess. As the owner of the tabloid, the buck stops with you. You have the responsibility of holding your journalists to the standards put in place. At the core of it all, journalism has originated from the need to report the truth. How are you supposed to report the truth if you can’t be truthful to your readers? You’ve already been notified by one of your readers that plagiarism has occurred. It’s only a matter of time that your other readers start to catch on.

MACKENZIE

I get what you’re saying but I really don’t want to hurt Francine more than I’ve already had. I took her job away from her. The very thing she’s been doing for the last 35 years. JOHN STUART MILL – You’ve got to remember that she did this to herself. No one made her commit the crime of plagiarism. She did that. It’s completely okay to go about hurting her if that means that your readers are well informed. I firmly believe that acting in a way that results in the greatest good for the greatest number is ethical. There are more readers than there are Francines. To keep your tabloid afloat, you need readers. You won’t have any read-ers left to write for if you don’t acknowledge what Francine did. 

CAROL GILLIGAN

You just need to be ready to face the consequences of your decision. You’re going to feel guilty if you do this to her. But you’re also going to feel guilty producing work knowing you didn’t address a journalistic sin. There’s no good choice. There’s just a better one. Francine is already going through enough. Do you really want to be the one to put the nail in the coffin? 

MACKENZIE

No but … 

[IMMANUEL KANT] – rolls his eyes. 

IMMANUEL KANT

And now that we are done with that snooze fest, we can get to the good stuff. My stuff. That’s why you came here Mackenzie. 

MACKENZIE

Woah. I’d just like to clarify I called all of YOU to help me. 

IMMANUEL KANT 

Okay so whatever. I’ll keep it short and sweet because that’s all it needs to be. If you were to let her off the hook, as in not address the plagiarism, you are setting the tone for the future of your tabloid. That you, Mackenzie Fenwick, hire journalists that go against the very thing that journalism is built upon. Let’s say that another one of your journalists were to plagiarize a story. You’d be morally obligated to give them the same fate as Francine. You get to decide the kind of journalists that represent your tabloid. I know you care about her, but you need to think about your readers.

MACKENZIE

Why is this so hard? CAROL GILLIGAN – If this was an easy decision, you wouldn’t have come all this way to meet with us. Whatever you decide, just be ready to take on all those feelings that come with it. 

JOHN STUART MILLS

Think about your readers. 

IMMANUEL KANT

Think about the tabloid’s future. 

CAROL GILLIGAN

Think about Francine. 

WILLIAM DAVID ROSS

Think about what matters more to you. The “Good” or the “Right”. 

MACKENZIE

So I can’t flip a coin? 

CAROL GILLIGAN

Nope. 

MACKENZIE

I know what I’ve got to do. Thank you all for your time. I

MMANUEL KANT

You’re not going to tell us what you’ve decided? 

MACKENZIE 

I’ll send you the link to our website. Stay tuned! 

[IMMANUEL KANT] – groans so loudly all of Chicago woke up. 

THE END