Final answer:
The decision by Paula Reid regarding the Secret Service scandal in Cartagena was likely based on a moral-rights approach, which considers ethical principles, individual integrity, and the relational and emotional aspects of moral assessment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The decision by Paula Reid, the manager who initiated the U.S. Secret Service prostitution scandal in Cartagena, was based largely on the moral-rights approach. This determination is informed by the context of the scandal, in which ethical conduct was critically evaluated. Reid's decision was likely influenced by a desire to uphold individual integrity and the moral duties of Secret Service agents, rather than solely looking at the consequences or leaning on a purely pragmatic solution.
Carol Gilligan theorized that previous researchers into morality like Lawrence Kohlberg had mainly focused on the justice perspective and thus had overlooked the moral-rights and care-based approaches which emphasize subjective factors and relationships in ethical decision-making. These perspectives suggest that moral decisions cannot be detached from emotions and interpersonal connections.
Given this understanding, a justice perspective might focus on the impartiality and rules, while a individualistic or traditionalistic political culture might ignore certain ethical lapses. The moral-rights perspective combines an understanding of ethical principles and rights with an emotional and relational approach to assessing the actions of individuals. Therefore, it is plausible that Paula Reid considered both moral law and the need for emotional awareness in making her decision.