University of Indianapolis Fall 2012 Instructor: Nick Best bestn@uindy.edu Phil 201: Ethics for Business Students This class is an exploration of the philosophical discipline of ethics and its application to real-world problems, particularly in the realm of business. The course will begin by exploring the major theories of ethics and considering the strengths and weaknesses of each. These theories will then be applied to ethical problems of the business world such as honesty, wealth and justice, discrimination and affirmative action and health care. The class will start out in lecture format and assessment tasks will mainly be quizzes; then we will transition to a more seminar style class where more time is devoted to discussion and longer writing tasks will be required. Grading Quizzes Writing Assignments Mid-Term Exam Final Paper 10% 40% 20% 30% Textbook Rachels & Rachels, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 7th edition, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Schedule Treat this outline as provisional – changes may be made. August 28 August 30 Introduction Rachels, “Subjectivism in Ethics”, p. 32ff. September 4 Midgely, “On Trying Out One’s New Sword”. September 6 Rachels, “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism”, p. 14ff. September 11 Beauchamp, “Relativism, Multiculturalism, and Universal Norms” September 13 Rachels, “Are there absolute moral rules?”, p. 128ff. September 18 Rachels, “Kant and Respect for Persons”, p. 136ff. September 20 Bowie, “A Kantian Approach to Business Ethics” September 25 Rachels, “Virtue Ethics”, p. 157ff. 1 September 27 Solomon, “Corporate Roles, Personal Virtues” Writing task: The Corporation October 2 Snoeyenbos & Humber, “Utilitarianism and business ethics” October 4 Rachels, “The Debate over Utilitarianism”, p. 110ff. October 9 October 11 Bernard Williams “A Critique of Utilitarianism” Mid-Term Exam! October 16 October 18 Fall Break “Moral Reasoning” October 23 October 25 Carr, “Is Business Bluffing Ethical?” Frankfurt, “On Bullshit” October 30 Allhoff, “Business Bluffing Reconsidered” Writing task: The Persuaders November 1 Rawls, excerpts from A Theory of Justice. November 6 November 8 Hale, “The Veil of Opulence”; Nozik, “Distributive Justice” Peter Singer, “Famine, Affluence and Morality” November 13 Friedman, “The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits”. November 15 Freeman, “Managing for Stakeholders” Writing Task: Undercover Boss November 20 Orts, “The Ethical and Environmental Limits of Stakeholder Theory” November 21-25 Thanksgiving Writing task: Is Walmart Good for America? November 27 Pojman, “The Case Against Affirmative Action”. November 29 Thomson, “Preferential Hiring”. December 4 Cohen, “Racial Preference is Bad for the Minorities Preferred”; Beauchamp, “In Defense of Affirmative Action”. December 6 Hare, “Health Care Policy: Some Options”; Menzel, “Just Access to Health Care and Pharmaceuticals”; Ruger, “A Health Capability Account of Equitable and Efficient Health Financing and Insurance”. December 11 December 13 Final Paper Draft Review Final Papers Due 2 Phil 201: Ethics Writing Exercise 1: The Corporation Question 0 (50-100 words) before watching the film – Choose one of the “values” from the list below that you consider the most important. Explain what you think it means to you. Acceptance Accountability Adventure Beauty Challenge Collaboration Cooperation Commitment Community Compassion Competence Courage Curiosity Creativity Discipline Discovery Efficiency Enthusiasm Environment Equality Excellence Fairness Faith Family Freedom Friendship Fun Generosity Gratitude Hard Work Harmony Health Helping Others Honesty Honor Humor Independence Inner Calm Innovation Integrity Interdependence Joy Leadership Learning Love Loyalty Meaningful Work Mindfulness Openness Peace Personal Growth Positive Influence Practicality Problem-Solving Reliability Resourcefulness Self-Care Self-Reliance Strength Thrift Tradition Trust Willingness Wisdom Watch the movie here: http://archive.org/details/The_Corporation_ (Just part 1. If you use a different site, just watch up to the end of the section with the Pfizer spokesman.) Legally, corporations are persons. But it’s not clear whether they are morally. Milton Friedman dismisses the possibility that a corporation can be a moral person and suggests that culpability for a corporation’s actions devolves totally to either the executives or the shareholders. Question 1 (200-300 words) – Choose one of the unethical practices that the movie accuses a corporation of undertaking and explain what Kant would have to say about the practice (stating clearly which version of the Categorical Imperative you are using). Explain whether it is the corporation as a whole or the individuals who seems the most blameworthy in your example. Conversely, Noam Chomsky suggests that the reason many corporations do “monstrous” things is not because the individuals are bad but because the institution is “monstrous”. Question 2 (200-300 words) – Name a virtue and explain how a virtuously designed corporation might exhibit that virtue. State what the corresponding vices would be (on an Aristotelian conception of virtue) and suggest how the corporation might guard against them. 3 Phil 201 Writing Assignment 2: The Persuaders Watch the Frontline documentary The Persuaders: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02s49bq74&continuous=1 Transcript available here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/etc/script.html 1. Assume that sophisticated targeted advertising (such as developing an everywoman character as the target customer) is one way of treating customers as ends in themselves (as opposed to mere means to an end). Would this count as acting from duty for Kant? (Explain briefly. 50-100 words) 2. Consider the concept of bullshit as defined by Harry Frankfurt. Choose an advertising claim that appears in the film, which you think exemplifies bullshit. Explain how this claim exemplifies Frankfurt’s concept. (150-200 words) 3. What is the difference between Hedonistic Utilitarianism and Preference Utilitarianism? What would a Preference Utilitarian say about the prevalence of market research in modern commercial advertising? What would a Hedonistic Utilitarian have to say? (200-250 words) Watch this commercial for Dove soap: http://youtu.be/9zKfF40jeCA Then watch this one for Axe deodorant: http://youtu.be/I9tWZB7OUSU 4. Summarize the message of each ad in one or two sentences. 5. Dove and Axe are owned by the same parent company, Unilever. What does this say about Unilever’s integrity? How might this be relevant to assessing whether the ads themselves count as harmless puffery or a more malicious kind of bullshit? (200-250 words) 4 Phil 201 Writing Assignment 3: Undercover Boss Watch an episode of the show Undercover Boss. (Any episode, watch a rerun on TV or one of the new ones here: http://www.cbs.com/shows/undercover_boss/) 1. Describe briefly what the boss did for their week undercover (what the company does, their new roles). (100 words) 2. What did the boss see that surprised them? (100 words) 3. What changes did the boss make at the end of the episode because of what they saw on the job? (200 words) 4. In your estimation, do the boss’s changes bring the company significantly closer to a Rawlsian system? Name one change the boss did not make that you think John Rawls would insist on. (200-250 words) Due November 27 5 Phil 201 Writing Assignment 4: Walmart Watch the Frontline documentary Is Walmart Good for America?: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/view/ 1. The film describes a shift from “push production”, where the manufacturer that had all the power, to “pull production”, where it is the retailer that holds all the power. Name two groups of stakeholders that have benefited from the advent of Walmart’s pull production model. Say how in a few words. (6 points) 2. Name two stakeholder groups that are worse off under a pull production system (than they were under push production). Say how in a few words. (6 points) 3. State in your own words Rawls’s Second Principle of Justice. (4 points) 4. Describe how an executive working for a large retail chain like Walmart might purchase and resell products in a way that would satisfy Rawls’s Second Principle. (200-250 words; 8 points) Due December 4 6 Phil 201 Writing Assignment: The Pirates of Silicon Valley Watch the movie The Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999, starring Noah Wyle etc.; not the documentary). http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=440334862070787846 (If you can find another source, e.g. Netflix, watch that because this one is low res.) 1. Choose one of the main characters (Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak or Steve Ballmer) and name a virtue or vice that describes their personality as portrayed in the film. 2. Briefly describe a scene in which a character does something particularly good or particularly bad. Explain what was bad about it and describe in detail what you think would have been the right response, including the right motive (i.e. at the right time; about the right things; towards the right people; for the right end; in the right way). 7