1. Aug 22

Introduction to the Course. What is business ethics.  How to read a philosophy article.

IBE, Ch 1, pgs 1-16.

2. Aug 24

The Good Life

Aristotle on the The Good Life;
Epicurus on Pleasure;
Advice from Aristotle by James O'Toole.

3. Aug 29

The Good Life

Video: Is Greed Good?

Andrew Carnegie “Wealth”;
Solomon Schimmel, “Greed”;
Joanne B. Cuilla, “Leisure and Consumption,”;

4. Aug 31

Virtue, Ethically right action, and the Good Life.
Why be virtuous?
Is the market an ally or enemy to the virtuous life?

Quiz 1

Chesire Calhoun, “Standing for Something.
Ian Maitland, “Virtuous markets: the market as school of the virtues”  

5. Sep 5

Good Work—Work and the Good Life

IBE Ch 4, pgs 75-94

6. Sep 7

Honesty

Albert Carr, Is Business Bluffing Ethical?;
Norman Bowie, Does it Pay to Bluff in Business?; Robert Solomon, Is it Ever Right to Lie?; Sisela Bok, Defining Secrecy, Some Crucial Distinctions; Mark Hamilton, There's No Lying in Baseball (Wink, wink).

7. Sep 12

Fairness: Respect for Persons

Norman Bowie, Respecting the Humanity in a Person; Arlie Hochshild, Exploring the Managed Heart.

8. Sep 14

Fairness: Justice within the workplace

Quiz 2

Ring of Gyges (Plato); Irving Kristol, A Capitalist Conception of Justice; Friedrich von Hayek, Justice Ruins the Market; Eduard Garcia, The Winner-Take-All Game.

9. Sep 19

Debate #1. Topic: Are CEO’s paid too much?

Teams announced in class, 9.12
Articles on Reserve in the Library.
Also here (part 1) and here (part 2)

10. Sep 21

Corporate Social Responsibility and Competition

IBE Ch 3 pgs 48-72

11. Sept 26

Corporate Social Responsibility: What is the role of business in society?

EAW. Lucas “The Responsibilities of a Business Man” pgs 15-30; Corporate Moral Agency by Peter French

12. Sept 28

The WalMart Debate: Saint or Sinner?

Quiz 3

Is it Ethical to Shop at Walmart? by Jeffrey Seglin and Bob Brownstein. ; "The Real Facts About Wal-Mart" from WakeupWalmart.com;
Walmart's Side: Economic Opportunity, Sustainability, Associate Benefits, Diversity, Merchandising. (All Walmart Factsheets)

13. Oct 3

The WalMart Debate: Saint or Sinner?

The Walmart You Don't Know.
Look at "Discussion Case," pgs 49-52 in IBE.

14. Oct 5

Moral Rights in the Workplace

IBE Ch 5, pgs 97-122.

Oct 9/13

Midsemester Break

15. Oct 17

Moral Rights in the Workplace: how should employers treat their employees? 

EAW, DesJardins and Duska, “Drug Testing in Employment” pgs 100-111

EAW Moore, “What is Really Unethical about Insider Trading?” pgs 150-165

16. Oct 19

Employee Responsibilities.

IBE, Ch 6, pgs 124-151

17. Oct 23

Employee and Employer relations

18. Oct 25

Quiz 4; Debate #2: Whistleblowing and Loyalty

Optional reading; EAW Davis, “Some Paradoxes of Whistleblowing,” pg 85-99

19. Oct 31

Introduction to Marketing Ethics. Product Safety

IBE, Ch 7, pg 153-173

20. Nov 2

Marketing Ethics: Ethics in pricing and sales.

Advertising; In-class Activity: ; Discussion.

EAW. Larson “The Ethics of Sales.” Pgs 112-128

21. Nov 7

Advertising—Video: Truth in Advertising
Debate #3: Advertising and Capitalism.

IBE, Ch 8, pgs 175-195; EAW, Phillips, “The Inconclusive Ethical Case Against Manipulative Advertising.”  Pgs 129-149.
And these readings

22. Nov 9

(Quiz 5) Video: Merchants of Cool

23. Nov 14

Ethics in Advertising: Decision-making bias, moral myopia and moral muteness

24. Nov 16

Business and the Environment

Debate #4

IBE, Ch 9, pgs 198-221; EAW, Hoffman, “Business and Environmental Ethics.”  Pg 166-180. Other readings TBA online.

25. Nov 21

Business and the Environment

IBE, Ch 9, pgs 198-221; Norman Bowie, "Morality, Money, and Motor Cars."

Nov 24

Thanksgiving Break

26. Nov 28

Diversity and the Workplace
Sexual Harrassment

Video: Sex, Power, and the Workplace.

In-class Activity: Case study and discussion

IBE, Ch 10, pgs 222-248
Reading TBA

27. Nov 30

(Quiz 6) International Business: Issues of Relativism. Video on Moral Relativism

IBE, CH 11, pgs 250-270

28. Dec 5

International Business: Globalism

Debate #5: TOPIC TBA.

EAW, Maitland, “The Great Non-Debate over International Sweatshops” pgs 49-66
Obligations of Multinational Organizations

29. Dec 7

Course Summary: how business does and should affect our individual lives, and what role does business and its values play in our society as a whole?

Dec 14

Final Exam: 10:00-11:45 am