People confronted with ethical problems must do more than simply evaluate alternatives; they must also come up with those alternative responses: they must figure out what to do and devise a plan of action.

Ethical evaluations do have a role in devising responses to ethical problems, of course. These evaluations come in many forms, from ???What is being proposed is morally wrong??? to ???This margin of safety is sufficient for the circumstances in which this device will operate.??? This book is concerned with devising good responses, which includes, but is not confined to, making ethical evaluations. Suppose my supervisor tells me to dispose of some regulated toxic substance by dumping it down the drain. In this case, part of my problem is that what I have been ordered to do is potentially injurious to human health and illegal. Assuming my supervisor knows that the substance is a regulated toxic substance ??? an assumption I should verify ??? thenmy supervisor is knowingly ordering me to act illegally. This evaluative judgment is one that I make in describing the situation.