Ancient vs. Modern Ethics

Aristotle's Virtue Ethics

Kant's Deontology

Mill's Utilitarianism

How ought we to live our lives?

1) Skepticism: Ethically right action cannot be known or one can have degrees of probability that some action is ethically right.

     a) Partial: Truth cannot be known.

     b) Complete: Everything (even this proposition) admits of doubt.

2) Relativism: Ethically right action varies from person to person, or culture to culture.

     a) Protagorean: Each person is his own best measure of what is right for him.

     b) Cultural: Each culture is its own best measure of what is right for it.

3) Universalism: Ethically right action is universal and discoverable through reason.

     a) Virtue Ethics (Intentionalist and Circumstantialist): Right action is guideed (undergirded) by ethical principles, but determined by circumstances.

     b) Utilitarianism (Outcome-Oriented): Right action is that which maximizes the human good, pleasure, or happiness for the greatest number of persons, so long as each person is considered to be no more than one.

     c) Deontology (Intentionalist): Ethically right action is action done not just in conformity with, but also from a duty to observe universally recognized principles.

4) Egoism: Each person ought to strive to maximize his own wellbeing.

Chapter 3: What is the classical model of corporate responsibility? Discuss from the perspectives of the Utilitarian defense, the private-property defense, and Bowie's moral minimum. What is the stakeholder model? Which is preferable--classical model or stakeholder model?

Chapter 4: What is corporate culture? What is business leadership? What is ethical leadership? How does one get from business leadership to ethical business leadership?  What is the role of  a credo or mission statement in a corporate culture?

Chapter 5: What is "work"? Must it entail drudgery? Discuss the human-fulfillment and the liberal model of work. Do employers have an ethical responsibility to ensure that work is meaningful? Is it enough that employers allow workers to have an opportunity to earn a living to support themselves and their families?

Chapter 9 What are some of the key ethical concerns that are linked with marketing products (focus on promotion and placement)? Make sure you include talk of autonomy, rationality, manipulation, deception, and being fully informed. Include the perspectivse of consumers, producers, and even advertising agencies.

Chapter 10 What is "sustainability"? Is sustainability a reasonable ideal for business practices? If not, why? If so, what things need to be done to ensure its success? Make sure you tie this into environmental issues.

Chapter 11 What are "equal opportunity" and "equal treatment"? How do diversity and gender factor in? What is "preferential treatment"? Is affirmative action a form of preferential treatment? Include as well some discussion of sexual harrassment.

Chapter 12 Panel Discussion Question: Critically discuss some of the key issues with incorporating universal ethical standards for international-business practices.