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What is the ethical framework you observe was followed by the violator(s) in committing the illegal conduct? (Explain.)

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Final answer:

Violators of ethical conduct in illegal activities often rationalize their actions with distorted interpretations of ethical frameworks, leading to unethical behavior such as in the Milgram Experiment or the Tuskegee experiment, affecting the reliability of data and contravening the 'do no harm' principle.

Step-by-step explanation:

The ethical framework followed by violators committing illegal conduct can often be identified as a moral justification for their actions, which falls outside the generally accepted ethical frameworks of consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. These frameworks prioritize outcomes, rules, and character, respectively. In contravention of these, violators might operate under a skewed perception of 'the greatest good' or misinterpret what their duties are, leading to unethical behavior.

An example of unethical behavior in sociological research is the Milgram Experiment, where participants were subjected to psychological stress without proper consent or debriefing. In cases like this, researchers might believe, erroneously, that the potential findings justify the methods, thereby adopting a twisted form of consequentialist ethics. Such actions can severely impact the reliability of the resulting data, as they introduce biases and may affect participants' responses due to distress or mistrust.

We see similar justifications in the Tuskegee experiment and the experimentation by Nazi physicians, where a distorted sense of pursuing scientific knowledge at any cost overshadowed the fundamental ethical principle of 'do no harm'. Hence, the ethical frameworks observed were not in line with established moral frameworks but were instead a rationalization of immoral actions.

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