Business Ethics (PHIL 320-04)-- Spring Semester, 2012
Metropolitan State University
First Position Paper Assignment (Now updated for Spring 2021))
Second Position Paper Assignment (Now updated for Spring 2012)
Possible questions for first exam (Now updated for Spring 2012)
Possible questions for second exam (Now updated for Spring 2012)
Paper writing guides:
Instructor's Office Hours: In my office (312 St. John's Hall, St. Paul Campus) Monday, 4:30-7:00; Tuesday, 12:00-3:00; Wednesday, 11:00-1:00
At Midway (in the lower level common area where the tables and vending machines are) Tuesday, 3:30-6:00
Note: their will probably be some changes as we go along. Hit the refresh button on your browser to make sure you have the most current version.
Date |
Topic |
Reading (Note: MM=Moral Mazes; BEF = Business in Ethical Focus) |
Writing |
Handouts |
Jan. 11 |
Introductory Session |
None |
Cases for Discussion; Discussion Project on Identifying Ethical Issues | |
Jan. 18 |
Free market purism vs. stakeholder theory |
BEF, Ch's 8 (Freidman) and 9 (Freeman) (pp.65-78); MM, Intro and Chapter 1 |
Response paper |
Four Perspectives on Businesss Behavior; Discussion Project: Applying Stakeholder and Stockholder Theories |
Jan. 25 |
Background: approaches to ethics |
BEF Ch's 3-7 (pp. 29-60); MM Ch. 2 |
Response paper |
Discussion Project: Applying Kant's Categorical Imperative |
Feb. 1 |
Background: economics |
BEF Ch's 43 (Smith - just pp.487-490), 2 (Sen - pp. 20-28), 12 (Heath - pp.110-130), 42 (Locke - pp.475-482), 44 (Marx - pp.490-497) |
Response paper |
Notes on Ethics and Markets |
Feb. 8 |
Background: theories of justice |
BEF Ch's 45-48 (Rawls, Nozick, Nielsen. Cohen) (pp. 498-550) |
Response paper |
Notes on Rawls and Nozick; Links to the slides on economic inequality: here; The interactive graph of income changes is from the Economic Policy Institute. |
Feb. 15 |
Intellectual property |
BEF Ch's 49 (Hettinger) and 50 (Paine), Case studies 7 and 8 (pp. 550-580) |
Response paper;First Position Paper due. |
Possible questions for first exam; |
Feb. 22 |
Employment at will or Due process |
BEF Ch's 22 (Werhane & Radin) and 23 (Epstein), (pp. 255-266) Case Studies 1 and 3 (pp. 246-7, 316-17); MM Ch. 3 |
Response paper |
Discussion Project on Employment at Will |
Feb. 29 |
How people get ahead in business |
BEF Ch's 31 (Hettinger) and 32 (Pojman) (pp. 324-255); MM Ch.4 (review Ch 3) |
Response paper; First exam; Possible Exam Questions |
Discussion Project on Affirmative Action Arguments; Some Arguments about Affirmative Action; Jackall's Rules |
March 7 |
Spring Break – no class |
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March 14 |
Whistleblowing |
BEF Ch's 24 (DeGeorge) and 25 (Larmer) (pp.267-278), MM Ch. 5 |
Response paper |
Discussion Project on Whistleblowing |
March 21 |
Occupational Safety |
BEF Ch's 28 (Superson) and 29 (Machan) (pp.302-315); MM Ch. 6 |
Response paper |
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March 28 |
Environmental responsibility |
BEF Ch's 18-21 (Sagoff, Shrader-Frechette, Poff, Machan) (pp. 189-245) |
Response paper |
Video links: Ray Anderson's TED talk; |
April 4 |
Global business and sweatshops |
BEF Ch's 15-16 (Maitland and Donaldson) pp.154-180 |
Response paper |
PBS version of "China Blue" |
April 11 |
Truth, Lies and Bluffing |
BEF Ch 36 (Carr) pp.400-409, Ch.38 (Allfoff) pp.432-439), Ch 51 (Machan) pp.584-592; MM Ch. 7 |
Response paper |
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April 18 |
Free choice or distorted desires? |
BEF Ch's 52-55 (Waide, Crisp, Arrington, Paine) pp.592-626, Case Studies 9 and 10, pp.640-644 |
Response paper;Second Position Paper due |
Discussion Project on Advertising to Children |
April 25 |
Wrap up |
MM, Ch 8 |
Second exam; Possible exam questions |