Université d´Ottawa/University of Ottawa
On-line @ Brightspace & Zoom
Summer 2021, Session C
Synchronous meetings: Mondays & Wednesdays 13h – 16h, GMT/UTC -4hrs
Business Ethics, PHI2397 A - Syllabus*
Instructor: Dean Wm. Lauer, Ph.D.
E-mail: dlauer@ uottawa.ca, contact hours by appointment
Additional Help:
○ PHI2397 A teaching assistants :
+ Alexei Kazakov (MA, uOttawa) akaza070@uottawa.ca
+ Sarah Feldman (MA, Dalhousie) sfeld040@uOttawa.ca
+ Pedram Anvari (MA, Amirkabir University of Technology) panva032@uottawa.ca
○ Student Academic Success Service (SASS) – www.sass.uottawa.ca
○Academic Support Service has developed an online portal for unique access to academic
support, the Academic GPS, https://uottawa.saea-tlss.ca/en/academic-gps
Class Access:
Join Zoom Meeting, Mondays & Wednesdays 13h – 16h
Topic: PHI2397[A] Business Ethics [LEC] 20225
https://uottawaca.zoom.us/j/94732888985?pwd=NUg3UG5WUWxJMDlDUmVSWEgwT001QT09
Meeting ID: 947 3288 8985
Passcode: 4s6Q8m
Content/Subject Matter:
We follow the university’s description of this course – “Within the context of the diminishing role
of the state and of globalization, study of ethical issues in business such as: The social responsibility
of firms, the rights and obligations of employees and employers, the problem of discrimination.”
Teaching Method:
The teaching format for a large course such as this will consist of lectures and documentary videos.
Course Structure/Evaluations/Marking:
●Quiz
29 June
= 25% / Use your own words, don’t copy articles or slides.
●Quiz
13 July
= 25% / Work independently.
●Final Exam
?
= 50% / Beware of plagiarism, see below.
Grading Criteria –
• Quality of argumentation (20%)
• Quality of written English (20%)
• Structure (20%)
• Understanding of the philosophical issues (30%)
• Originality (10%)
All evaluations will be multiple choice and short answer format at minimum. Marked quizzes can
be reviewed in rare cases by the teaching assistant who marked your paper. As per the Faculty of
Arts regulations “[t]he revised grade can be higher than, lower than or equal to the grade submitted
for review.” Unfortunately, there are no extra credit possibilities.
Observe:
I do not answer inquiries that are redundant of material covered in class or that is written here on
the syllabus.
This on-line course has 185 registered students as such I cannot answer e-mails that are
redundant of material already presented. Unfortunately, I am not well skilled at information
technology. If you are having questions in this area see:
Brightspace support by phone: 1-866-811-3201
Brightspace online support: https://d2lprod.service-now.com/uottawa
Quizzes and final exam can be written in English, French, or Norwegian.
Course Calendar:
Unless noted by a hyperlink, all readings are from the Honest Work: A Business Ethics Reader (the
“Text”) or Leviathan on the course Brightspace site.
Monday, 20 June – Course overview
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY?
Wednesday, 22 June – Milton Friedman, “The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Its
Profits” + Text: Carr, “Is Business Bluffing Ethical?”, pp. 43-47
Mon., 27 June – Text: Bowie, “Does It Pay to Bluff in Business?”, pp. 48-50
Text: Frankel: “Trust, Honesty and Ethics in Business”, pp. 72-76
STAKEHOLDERS; COST-BENEFIT THINKING
Text: Freeman, “A Stakeholder Theory of the Modern Corporation”, pp. 263-269
Wed., 29 June – EXAM I
GLOBALIZATION
Mon., 4 July – Text: Reich, “Supercapitalism”, pp. 665-673 + A. Giridharadas,
“The Win-Win Fallacy”
THE WORLD OF FINANCE
Wed., 6 July – Text: Boatright, “Finance Ethics”, pp, 146-152 + Text: Ferguson, “Wall Street Lays
Another Egg”, pp. 169-177 + video
THE ENVIRONMENT
Mon., 11 July– Th. Hobbes, “ Chapter XIII. Of the Naturall Condition of Mankind” from
Leviathan (1651). See Brightspace document.
Wed., 13 July – EXAM II
Mon, 18 July G. Hardin, “Tragedy of the Commons” + M. Sagoff, “At the Shrine of Our Lady Fatíma or
Why Political Questions Are Not All not all Economic”
Wed., 20 July - Text: William F. Baxter: “People or Penguins”, pp. 510-514
Text: Singer, “The Place of Nonhuman animals in Environmental Issues, pp. 521-524
DISCRIMINATION, EMPLOYMENT EQUITY
Mon., 25 July - Text: Harvard Law Review, “Facial Discrimination”, pp. 25-29 and
A GOOD LIFE
Text: Sol. Schimmel, “Greed”, pp.103-104, Epicurus, “On Pleasure”, pp. 97-98 + video
Wed., 27 July - Text: Joanne B. Ciulla: “Leisure and Consumption” pp. 104-109 +
ADVERTIZING AND SOCIETY
John Kenneth Galbraith, “The Dependence Effect”
Fredrick A. von Hayek, “The Non Sequitur of the ‘Dependence Effect’”
Final Examination (50%) – To be announced on Brightspace, noncumulative
*This syllabus is subject to changes. Please check it for updates.
Nota bene:
Beware of academic fraud!
Academic fraud is an act by a student that may result in a false evaluation (including papers, tests,
examinations, etc.). It is not tolerated by the University. Any person found guilty of academic fraud
will be subject to severe sanctions.
Here are some examples of academic fraud:
 Plagiarism or cheating of any kind;
 Present research data that has been falsified;
 Submit a work for which you are not the author, in whole or part;
 Submit the same piece of work for more than one course without the written consent of the
professors concerned.
Please consult this webpage: it contains regulations and tool to help you avoid plagiarism.
An individual who commits or attempts to commit academic fraud, or who is an accomplice, will be
penalized. Here are some examples of possible sanctions:
 Receive an “F” for the work or in the course in question;
 Imposition of additional requirements (from 3 to 30 credits) to the program of study;
 Suspension or expulsion from the Faculty.
You can refer to the regulations on this webpage.
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 Develop your argumentation skills
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