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Ethics and Public Action (1) , By Prof Eugene Mensah

Ethics and Public Action (1) , By Prof Eugene Mensah

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: -Matthew 6.13 KJV
The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! - Matthew 26: 24

Introduction
An issue that has concerned Ghanaians in recent times is judicial corruption. This is the consequence of the work of Anas Aremeyaw Anas, whose investigative “journalism,” captured in film, judges collecting bribes with the object of “throwing” cases involving persons who were on trial for very serious offenses.

There is no doubt that Anas Aremeyaw Anas has cemented his image in the Ghanaian mind as an unremitting investigative “journalist,” who is determined to expose corruption in the Ghanaian society. There have been calls for him to be given national awards. Some have even suggested that he should be given police protection because of the threats that he is likely to face from the powerful people that he has exposed.

There is however a minority that has expressed concern about Anas’ methods, particularly in relation to the judges’ case. They believe that it was wrong and criminal for Anas to have bribed judges even if his aim was to expose corruption. They argue that his actions, whether they were motivated by public spiritedness or not, have led to very serious and troublesome consequences - the release of persons suspected to have engaged in very serious offenses. Most of Anas’ critics have based their denunciations on legal grounds. I keep company with this minority.

My argument against Anas is however, primarily a moral argument; I argue that it is morally wrong to intentionally trap persons and film them with the intention of exposing them. This is because most human beings are not gods who are so morally upright that they will not take unfair advantages if they are offered to them. It may be a sad commentary on human beings as a species. But that is who we are – you and me! There is thus a world of difference between a journalist, who sets up a sting operation to expose corrupt persons who have, on their own, established criminal enterprises to collect bribes and do injustice, and a journalist who intentionally offers bribes to persons, with the object of entrapping them, films them and exposes them under the guise that he is fighting corruption.

A morally sensitive society must be able to make this distinction.

And it is because this distinction is morally important that moral and religious thinkers have constantly warned us to be on the lookout for tempters and agent provocateurs. Jesus put this warning in the form of advice when he asked his disciples to pray that they be not led into temptation. In Matthew 26: 24 (KJV) Jesus further warned his disciples, as he contemplated his approaching suffering and death, that hell’s fury awaits those who betray confidences – The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!

Eno Afumwaa’s Analysis of the Judges’ Situation – The Moral Intuitions of the Ordinary Person
I believe that while many ordinary people would have little sympathy for the judges, they would be concerned, even indignant about Anas’ methods. They will argue that it is unfair and wicked for Anas to use trickery and temptation to achieve his objectives. Let us personify the views of the ordinary person in Eno Afumwaa, a hard headed commonsensical woman, who after watching the video, condemns not only the judges but Anas and the hypocritical parts of the Ghanaian society? How does Eno Afumwaa justify her moral intuitions? After all, as Anas himself claims, not all the judges took his bait. 

Eno Afumwaa’s Argument - Three Types of Moral Personalities
To justify her moral intuitions, Eno Afumwaa distinguishes between three types of moral personalities.

First, she distinguishes the highly moral person. Let us call this person, the A-moral personality. How does an A-moral personality act in the face of temptation to act morally or criminally? In the face of the strongest temptations, he will almost never fail. Very, very, very few situations would be dire enough to cause him to break his moral code and act immorally.

But, religious people are careful to caution that it is only God who does not sin. On that very rare occasion, even an A-moral personality can fail. Moral cynics say with relish, “Everyone has his price!” Realists, and their Ghanaian kind, accepting the fallibility of persons, sigh sadly and say “Onipa wo ye die ben?”

Eno Afumwaa concludes that to all intents and purposes a Mr. A is highly unlikely to engage in immoral or anti-social behavior. But we must always keep in mind that rare occasion though!

Then there is the ordinary moral person. Let us call him the B moral personality. This person does not seek to act immorally. In fact, he actively tries to avoid acting immorally. He takes his moral and religious instructions seriously and he tries to do the right thing on most occasions. Generally, presented with the opportunity to act immorally he will flee the scene.

However, a B-moral personality suffers from moral weakness. The ancient Greeks call this state of mind, akrasia – the state of acting against one’s better judgement. And so a B-moral personality may in fact act immorally when the source of the immorality is close or unavoidable. Generally, the direr the situation, the greater will be the temptation to act immorally. At a certain point, he will consider his situation so dire and his will so overwhelmed, that he will fall prey to the temptation. So, Mr. B is unlikely to engage in anti-social behavior unless he faces strong temptation.

Then there is the inherently immoral person. Let us call him the C-moral personality. The C-moral personality’s basic motivation is to act immorally. There are broadly two types of C-moral personalities. There are those who act immorally out of necessity. So for example, when it comes to economic survival, a C-moral personality is quick to conclude that the only way he can survive is to hone his immoral skills – working the system with duplicity.

Everyone in Ghana knows the economic survivalist and many of us use his services. He is affectionately called the “connection man.” He comes in all shapes and forms. He is the corruption entrepreneur – who locates his enterprise close to a government office – the courts, the DVLA, the Lands Department offices, the District Assembly office, the Survey Department, the University or the Secondary School during admissions, the hospital – yes! The hospital and especially the blood bank – and of course the Police Station? Wherever he locates himself, he facilitates the market between government employees who are unwilling to serve the market at the low official prices that government institutions are supposed to charge for their services and consumers willing or coerced to pay the real market value for government services.

Then there is the other C-type moral personality. Psychiatrists call this type of person, a sociopath. He scorns the society’s moral code as the code of weaklings. Sometimes, he may gain nothing economically from his anti-social behavior. He does it purely for the thrill. There are few such characters in any society and most Ghanaians may not have come across them. The raison d’etre of a Mr. C is anti-social behavior.

An Example of the Personalities in Action
Eno Afumwaa illustrates these three moral personalities in action through an example that most Ghanaians will be conversant with – examination malpractices. Let us suppose that Mr. A is a weak mathematics student. Mr. A needs to get an excellent grade in mathematics to get into medical school and he desperately wants to go to become a doctor. And the Mathematics questions have leaked!

Based on the description of Mr. A, Eno Afumwaa asks how a Mr. A would react to a leak in the mathematics paper. Would he attempt to get hold of the questions? Nope! Mr. A’s moral code is so high that he would refuse to look at the questions even if they are brought to him – i.e. put on his desk “fili!” He will refuse to look at the questions because he considers it to be just morally wrong to have access to leaked examination questions. And this is not because he thinks he would be found out. Even if he is aware that he would never be found out, he will refuse to take a peek at the questions.

When the information comes out that examination questions have leaked, his schedule will remain unchanged. He will continue to study as he has been doing before. Generally, he will not act immorally because acting immorally is just not in his nature. The prospect of failing the mathematics examination and not becoming a doctor is not so dire to him, that he will break his moral code and take an unfair advantage.

What about Mr. B? Mr. B is a person with a regular moral code. He will not go in search of the leaked mathematics questions. Even when he hears that they are available at an easily accessible location, he will decline a search for the questions. He may not go for the questions because he thinks that it is both morally wrong to see leaked examination questions and also because he is afraid of the consequences if he is caught – he may be dismissed from the school!

But that is how far his moral code goes. If the questions are brought to him – i.e. if his roommate has the questions and offers to show them to him - the temptation will be too great for him to resist; he will look at the questions. The fact that he is weak in mathematics and he desperately wants to become a doctor makes the situation direr and the temptation irresistible.

And Mr. C? Mr. C, is the kind of person who makes leakages happen. He is the one who actively searches for the questions. He is the fulcrum for the examination leakage enterprise. His motivation may be survival – he knows that he has to pass mathematics to enter the medical school and he just does not have mathematics skills. Or he may just be an examination leakage socio-path. He just enjoys beating the system. His thrill comes from identifying those sanctimonious persons in the examination administrative system, whom he can experiment with to prove that every person has his price.

To be continued

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