Critical Thinking and Ethics The guidelines and values of thinking critically apply to ethical logic because our instincts may be to do what’s morally right, but we should weigh our decisions before acting. We need to consider if our actions will do more harm than good, perhaps we are acting out of self-interest, or maybe feel a moral obligation despite the consequences. For example, in the early 1990s when Unocal decided to go into Burma to build a gas pipeline. Did they consider that partnering with a military dictatorship that has a history of human rights violations would benefit their people? Or were the stakeholders just focused on the end result despite the cost to achieve it? Unocal compromised moral and business ethics by not widening their perspective beyond generating revenue. If everyone followed a logical path, there would still be a need to principled decision making. Both have a close bond in regards to right and wrong. Logic pertains to the reasoning process of a difficult situation where ethical actions determine the outcome. Rationale helps us critically think about a difficult situation before applying our ethical deeds. For example, Unocal reasoned the benefits of employment, education and medical assistance to the region’s people were the pipeline was being constructed. Giving careful thought to their plans before executing because of the area’s instability. Their moral actions, in this regard, helped approximately 40,000 people in the area. Without ethical decision making practices, logic would analyze a circumstance and attempt to act devoid of principles.