Business ethics
Elizabeth Prior-Jonson
8 points * 2 hours per week * Second semester * Clayton * Prerequisites: A minor sequence in philosophy or economics
Numerous ethical issues arise in business. Some of these issues have to do with the duties of individuals working in a company and the tensions between the demands of their professional roles, including the claims of loyalty, and their more general duties as citizens and ordinary moral agents. Other issues centre on the corporation as a moral agent, and the social responsibilities of business in areas like product safety, advertising, and environmental protection. Business is conducted not simply in an economic context, but also in a legal, social and political environment. To what extent should business activities be left to the operation of the free market, and to what extent should they be regulated by government? How should cultural differences affect international business? The subject will focus on the identification and clarification of the ethical and political dimensions in the formulation and implementation of policies and decisions.
Assessment
Two 3000-word essays: 50% each * Optional replacement of one essay by a 3-hour examination