| Accountability | To be held accountable, we need to know that the person whose action is being scrutinized is (a) free to choose and (b) had the competence (so it is informed consent) to do so.
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| Ad Hominem Circumstantial | A fallacy of relevance in which there is an attempt to persuade on the basis of discrediting someone because of supposed vested interests or membership in a group.
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| Autonomy | Individual independence on the basis of an assumed freedom of choice.
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| Brainwashed | Under the control or influence of an ideology or group. Some people have argued that they are not responsible for their actions because they were “brainwashed” by a particular group (e.g., for political purposes).
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| Declaration | An announcement or proclamation asserting something.
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| Dilemma | A quandary or uncertainty about a choice. The phrase “stuck on the horns of a dilemma” refer to a choice between two options, where each one is problematic.
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| Ethical dilemma | A quandary centering on an ethical or moral problem.
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| Ethical guideline | A moral prescription or recommendation for how individuals should think and behave.
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| Informed consent | An agreement that is made (e.g., for medical treatment or participation in an experiment) with the knowledge of the foreseeable risks and benefits.
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| Integrity | Honesty or moral character.
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| Mindset | Way of thinking or conceptual framework. One’s mindset tends to establish the perspective or point of view.
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| Moral agent | An individual who can be held morally accountable. Thre are two characteristics of moral agency: (1) freewill (freedom of choice) and (2) knowledge of good vs. evil (competence).
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| Moral prescription | An ethical guideline. Once we say, “You ought to do such and so,” we are giving a moral prescription. That is, we are setting forth a recommendation for how others should think and behave. Most people operate by a set of moral prescriptions.
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| Non-profit group | A group or association with a charitable or public purpose.
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| Pandora’s box | A mythical box (according to Greek mythology) that Zeus gave Pandora. He told her not to open it—but she ignored the order and opened the box, unleashing miseries and evils affecting everyone.
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| Parameter | The boundary or constraint setting limits on what can be done or decided.
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| Patient autonomy | A patient’s right to decide what happens to your own body—including the right to refuse medical treatment.
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| Public service advertising | Advertising for the public good, including that for nonprofit groups.
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| Unwarranted assumption | A presumption that is groundless.
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| Verbal message | The use of words or music, e.g., in ads or posters, intended to create a particular effect.
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| Visual message | The use of color, images, symbols, “characters,” e.g., in ads or posters intended to create a particular effect.
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| Warranted assumption | A presumption that is justifiable.
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