Business Ethics
Phil 25a, Spring 2014
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 1:00-2:00
Instructor: Ben Sherman
Office: Rabb Graduate Center rm. 316
Email: shermanb@brandeis.edu
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 12:00-1:00; or by appointment
Course Description
This course offers an introduction to ethical theory and ethical reasoning, as they relate to
business issues in particular. Said introduction will be divided into three main parts. The first
part of the course will introduce general ethical theories, focusing especially on theoretical
justifications for obeying the law, respecting private property, and keeping contracts. The
second unit will focus on some central ethical problems that arise in business situations. In the
final unit we examine consider particular ethical questions, selected in part on the basis of
students’ expressed interests.
Learning Goals
•
Acquiring a familiarity with some of the most influential positions, debates, and lines of
inquiry in discussions of business ethics
•
Developing the skills involved in good ethical thinking: analysis of problems and
questions, judicious interpretation, careful argumentation, and awareness of context and nuance
•
Refining a tentative ethical position on controversial topics in business ethics, including
views about what should be done, what should be studied further, and what sorts of
considerations might be relevant to these position
Laptop Policy
No laptops, please, as they are apt to distract from class discussions.
Academic Integrity
All material submitted for a grade should be the student’s own original, independent work. All
uses of others’ work should be properly documented through notes and citations. Unauthorized
collaboration, plagiarism, and any other violation of University policies on academic integrity
will result in disciplinary action, which can include grading penalties, suspension, or dismissal.
If you have questions about what constitutes academic dishonesty, please consult the Rights and
Responsibilities Handbook, contact the Office of Student Development and Conduct, or ask the
instructor. More information can be found at
http://www.brandeis.edu/studentaffairs/srcs/index.html.
Disability
Please let me know as soon as possible if you have a documented disability on record at
Brandeis. I will be glad to make the appropriate arrangements.
Course Texts
All students are required to have access to the readings from Contemporary Issues in Business
Ethics, ed. Desjardins and McCall, 5th edition. All other required readings will be made
available online.
Grading
Preliminary exam, 5%
4-6 page paper, 20%
Midterm exam, 25%
Final 8-10 page paper, 35%
Homework assignments, 10%
Class participation, 5%
Course Requirements:
All students will be required to engage with the ethical questions presented in class, through
careful consideration of the texts assigned, demonstrated in written work to be done at home and
on exams in class. Work will be evaluated both on the basis of whether it shows knowledge of
course materials, and whether it demonstrates the student’s ability to engage in original analysis
and argumentation.
Late Work: Assignments are to be turned in by the beginning of class the day they are due. Late
work will be penalized a mark for each day past the deadline (e.g., homework one day late will
fall from check to check-minus.)
Class Schedule
(“DJMC #” indicates page numbers from DesJardins and McCall’s Contemporary Issues in
Business Ethics anthology. Readings marked “Latte” will be available on the class Latte
website.) Any changes will be announced in class in advance.
Unit I: Free Market Theory and Ethical Theory
What Ethics Is about, and Free Market Theory
Mon 1/13: Introduction
Weds 1/15: Ethics and Ethical relativism
DJMC 1-6
Thurs 1/16: DJMC 6-7
Milton Friedman, “The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits,”
DJMC 7-11
Albert Carr, “Is Business Bluffing Ethical?” DJMC 243-250
Fundamental Questions
Monday 1/20: No class, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Weds 1/22: Why should we obey the law?
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, ch. 13 and 14 (Latte)
Thurs 1/23: Why should we obey the law?
John Rawls, “Legal Obligation and the Duty of Fair Play” (Latte)
Mon 1/27: Mill, Preliminary exam
Weds 1/29: Why respect property rights?
John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, ch. 5 (Latte)
Thurs 1/30: Why respect property rights?
David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, sect. III (Latte)
Mon 2/3: Why respect property rights?
Garrett Hardin, “The Tragedy of the Commons” (Latte)
Why respect property rights?—David Schmidtz, “The Institution of Property” (Latte)
Weds2/5: Why should we keep our promises?
Immanuel Kant, excerpts from Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (Latte)
Thurs 2/6: Is there a further role for law or ethics?
Derek Parfit, Reasons and Persons sect. 23 and 24
Moral Theories and Ethical Criticism
Mon 2/10: Another look at the “Free Market” theory
Review Friedman
DJMC 11-22
Weds 2/12: Utilitarianism
DJMC 27-31, 32-43
Optional reading: DJMC 23-27, 31-32
Thurs 2/13: Deontology
DJMC 44-63
2/15-2/23: No class, February Break
Unit II: Central Problems for Business Ethics
Corporate Responsibility
Mon 2/24: DJMC 64-76
Weds 2/26: Lynn A. Stout, “Bad and Not-So-Bad Arguments for Shareholder Primacy,” DJMC
84-96
Thurs 2/27: John J. McCall, “Assessing Executive Compensation,” DJMC 102-112
4-6 Page Paper Due
Job Security
Mon 3/3: DJMC 113-128
Weds 3/5: Patricia H. Werhane, “The Right to Due Process,” DJMC 136-141
Thurs 3/6: Ian Maitland, “Rights in the Workplace: A Nozickian Argument,” DJMC 141-4
Fairness and Equal Opportunity
Mon 3/10: Sexism and Disability
Vicki Schultz, “Sex is the Least of It: Let’s Focus Harassment Law on Work, not Sex,”
DJMC 203-7
Gregory S. Kavka, “Disability and the Right to Work,” DJMC 207-213
Weds 3/12: Affirmative Action and Diversity
Robert K. Fullwider, “Preferential Hiring and Compensation,” DJMC 447-453
Richard Wasserstrom, “A Defense of Programs of Preferential Treatment,” DJMC 454457
Thurs 3/13: Affirmative Action and Diversity
General Motors Corp, Amicus Curiae Brief in Support of the University of Michigan,
DJMC 458-465
Claude M. Steele, excerpt from Whistling Vivaldi (Latte)
Honesty, Loyalty and Trust
Mon 3/17: DJMC 235-240
Review Carr
Weds 3/19: Ronald Duska, “Whistleblowing and Employee Loyalty,” DJMC 251-255
W. Michael Hoffman and Robert E. McNulty, “A Business Ethics Theory of
Whistleblowing: Responding to the $1 Trillion Question” (from Whistleblowing: In Defense of
Proper Action; Latte)
Thurs 3/20: David Lewis, “Whistleblowing in a Changing Legal Climate: Is It Time to Revisit
Our Approach to Loyalty and Trust at the Workplace?” (Latte)
Mon 3/24: Midterm Exam
Unit III: Other Topics of Interest
Note: From here on, the schedule is tentative. Other readings and topics might be selected, on
the basis of student suggestions and surveys.
Weds 3/26: Workplace Safety
James Chelius, “The Occupational Safety and Health Problem,” DJMC 197-203
Earl W. Spurgin, “The Problem with ‘Dead Peasants’ Insurance,” DJMC 213-21
Thurs 3/27: Employee Drug Testing
DesJardins and Duska, “Drug Testing in Employment,” DJMC 222-7
Mon 3/31: Product Liability and Safety
DJMC 285-289
John J. McCall, “Fairness, Strict Liability and Public Policy,” DJMC 305-307
Weds 4/2: Product Liability and Safety
George G. Brenkert, “Social Products Liability: the Case of Firearms Manufacturers,”
DJMC 307-314
Thurs 4/3: The Ethics of Marketing
Christians et al, “Advertising in an Image-Based Culture” (from Media Ethics; Latte)
Mon 4/7: Pollution
William FF. Baxter, People or Penguins: The Case for Optimal Pollution, DJMC 394398
Mark Sagoff, “Why Political Questions Are Not All Economic,” DJMC 398-404
Weds 4/9: Environmental Obligations
Norman Bowie, “Morality, Money, and Motor Cars,” 404-409
Thurs 4/10: Joseph R. DesJardins, “Sustainable Business: Environmental Responsibilities and
Business Opportunities” DJMC 409-416
Final Paper Proposal Due
Mon 4/14: In-class debate
Weds 4/16-Tues 4/22: No class, Passover Break
Weds 4/23: Globalization
Thomas J. Donaldson, “Rights and the Global Market,” DJMC 478-491
Thurs 4/24: Globalization
Ian Maitland, “The Great Non-Debate over International Sweatshops,” DJMC 492-5010
Mon 4/28: Final discussion
Final Paper Due Date: 5/5