Download The Potter Box

The Potter Box
By Alex Pontoski
The Creator
The Potter Box was
developed by Ralph
B. Potter, a
theologian and
former professor at
Harvard Divinity
School.
About the Potter Box
The Potter Box is a model used to help
make ethical decisions.
It involves four steps of moral reasoning
that are taken in order to assist with the
decision making process.
It is used by many people in the media
fields such as Journalism and TV/Film.
Using the Potter Box
The Potter Box consists of four steps to
guide you through making your
decision.
Step 1
State the facts of the situation. Be as
detailed as possible and avoid personal
opinions at this point.
Step 2
Define the values of the situation at
hand. That is what you believe about
the situation. Include the rights and
wrongs according to what you believe.
Step 3
Find an ethical principle that applies to
each value from step 2.
Values:
Aristotle’s Golden Mean
 Kant’s Categorical Imperative
 Mill’s Principle of Utility
 Rawl’s Veil of Ignorance

Step 4
Choose your loyalties and make your
decision. You may need to go through
the steps several times before you are
truly ok with your decision.
Video: The Dilemma…
www.youtube.com/alexaba

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XesNuX
Zeg1c
Bibliography
Image – Slide 2:
 http://www.hds.harvard.edu/faculty/em/potter.cfm
Image – Slide 5
 http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EyOGAhvV0IY/Rq41wx6SDWI/AAAAAA
AAAD0/Fzk2Xq9NxJ4/s320/Untitled-1.gif
Bibliography
http://www.hds.harvard.edu/faculty/em/potter.cfm
http://www.lumrix.net/medical/ethics/potter_box.html
Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology by
Straubhaar and LaRose
For the Video:

Music from the Page Master soundtrack