ROADMAP/SYLLABUS

PP247:BusinessEthics

(1)YourInstructor

MynameisCraigBeam.IwasbornandgrewupinNiagaraFalls,Ontario,andobtainedmy
Ph.D.inPhilosophyfromtheUniversityofWaterlooin1999,thelastgraduatingclassofthe
millennium.SincethenIhavetaughtsuchcoursesasBusinessEthics,CommunicationEthics,
SocialandPoliticalThought,andReasoningandArgumentationatanumberoflocal
universities.I'vebeenatLauriersinceJanuary2003.

(2)CourseDescription

PP247BusinessEthics(fromtheUndergraduateAcademicCalendar)

Anexaminationoftheethicalaspectsofcentralfeaturesofbusinessactivitysuchasproperty
rights,contracts,theprofitmotive,advertisingandregulatedtrade.Referencewillbemadeto
moralconceptssuchasjustice,welfareandresponsibility,inrelationtosuchcurrentissuesas
preferentialhiring,deceptiveadvertising,environmentaldestructionandconsumerprotection.
PP247OCBusinessEthics(OnlineLearningversion,descriptionofthisparticularcourse)
Thisisapracticalethicscoursewhichisopentostudentsfromalldisciplines.Itaimstodevelop
abasicunderstandingofethicaltheoryandtheabilitytothinkcriticallyaboutthemoralissues
ofbusinessandprofessionallife.Inthefirsthalf,wewilllearnaboutseveralmajorethical
theoriesanddiscussissuesofjustice,socialresponsibility,andprofessionalethics.Inthe
secondhalf,wewillexaminevarioustopicsinbusinessethicssuchaslyingandbluffing,
advertising,employeerights,affirmativeaction,sexualharassment,internationalbusinessand
environmentalissues.

(3)AnticipatedLearningObjectivesCoreCompetenciesinKnowledge,Skills,andValues

Aftercompletingthiscourseyouwillbeableto:

Knowledge

*
*
*
*
*

*
*
*

Explainthephilosophicalapproachtoethics.
Describethemajorethicaltheories(Utilitarianism,KantianDeontology,Virtue
Ethics).
Debaterightwingvs.leftwingviewsofjustice,andcapitalismvs.socialism.
Explainstockholder(Friedmanite)vs.stakeholderviewsofsocialresponsibility.
Describethenatureofaprofession,andthespecialmoralchallengesfacing
professionals.
Explainethicalissuesrelatingtolyingandbluffing.
Explainethicalissuesrelatingtoadvertising.
Describeemployeerightsandtheirevolution,includingworkandfamilyissues.

*
*
*
*

Debateissuesofsexualharassmentandaffirmativeaction.
Explaintheimpactofculturalrelativismoninternationalbusiness.
Describeenvironmentissuesrelatingtobusiness.
Analyzesomeclassicbusinessethicscases.

*
*
*
*

Analyzecriticallythemoralissuesofbusinessandprofessionallife.
Developanargument,tocogentlydefendone=spositionagainstalternatives.
Intelligentlyapplyethicaltheoriestoreallifesituations.
Identifyrelevantmoralissuesincases,analyzethem,andproposeasolution.

*
*

Clarifyandarticulateone'sownvalues.
Listchallengingmoralissuesinbusiness,aboutwhichreasonableargumentscan
bemadeformultiplepointsofview.
Prepareoneselftomeetthespecialmoralchallengesofcorporatelife(especially
resistingthetemptationtoabdicateresponsibilityandobeythebossor
maximizeprofit).
Developphilosophicalhabitsofmindandaninterestinmoralissuesasthey
relatetoone'sfieldofstudy.

Skills

Values

(4)CourseOutline

Thecourseconsistsof12Units,oneforeachweekoftheterm.Theintroductionand
conclusionhavenoaccompanyingreadingsandareshorterthantheothers.

Unit1Week1Introduction
NoReading

Unit2Week2Ethics:Foundations&Challenges
ReadingBeauchamp&Bowie(p.119)

Unit3Week3Ethics:Utilitarian&KantianTheories
ReadingsBeauchamp&Bowie(p.1935),Carroll
Films"DoestheEndJustifytheMeans?" and"CanRulesDefineMorality?"

Unit4Week4Ethics:Virtue&Justice
ReadingsBeauchamp&Bowie(p.3549),Solomon,Smart,Wilson,Nielson
WebReadingUNUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights
Films"IsEthicsBasedonVirtue?"and"WhatisJustice?"

Unit5Week5SocialResponsibilityofBusiness
Assignment#1dueonWednesday
ReadingsFriedman,Mulligan,Freeman,Solomon,Beam

Unit6Week6ProfessionalEthics
ReadingsShaw&Barry,Ladd,"Society," Callahan,Tittle

Unit7Week7Lying,Bluffing,andBribery
ReadingsCarr,Lane&Simpson,Poff,KellyWeb
ReadingSisselaBokonLying

Unit8Week8AdvertisingEthics
ReadingsLutz,Arrington,Waide,Tittle,ValasquezWeb
ReadingCanadianCodeofAdvertisingStandardsFilm
"AdvertisingandtheEndoftheWorld"

Unit9Week9WorkplaceIssues&EmployeeRights
Assignment#2dueonWednesday
ReadingsShaw&Barry,Boatright,Tittle
Film"HerBrilliantCareer"

Unit10Week10AffirmativeAction&SexualHarassment
ReadingsNagel,Pojman,Bravo&Cassedy,Laframboise,Hasnas,Zeitlin

Unit11Week11InternationalBusiness&theEnvironment
Assignment#3dueonWednesday
ReadingsDeGeorge,Baxter,DesJardins,Beauchamp&Bowie,Callahan,Shaw&Barry
Film"CrossCulturalUnderstanding"

Unit12Week12Conclusion
DiscussionBoard&TakeaMomentPostsdueonFriday;
Essayduelastdayoflectures
NoReading

(5)LearningMaterials

A.CoursePackage

Ethics,Business&theProfessions:ABookofReadings
editedbyCraigBeam

TheonlytextrequiredforPP247OCisthecoursepackage.Thereadingsforeachweekare
listedatthebeginningofeachunitintheonlinecoursenotes.Allreferencestopagenumbers
refertotheoriginalnumbersintheparticulararticleorselection,nottherunningnumbersin
thecoursepackageasawhole.

BibliographyofCoursePackReadings

UNIT2
Beauchamp,Tom,andNormanBowie(1997),"EthicalTheoryandBusinessPractice," from
EthicalTheoryandBusiness,5thed.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall,p.119.


UNIT3
Beauchamp,Tom,andNormanBowie(1997),"EthicalTheoryandBusinessPractice," from
EthicalTheoryandBusiness,5thed.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall,p.1935.
Carroll,Archie(1996),"PrinciplesofBusinessEthics:TheirRoleinDecisionMaking," from
AnnualEditions:BusinessEthics95/96,DushkinPublishingGroup,p.1317.

UNIT4
Beauchamp,Tom,andNormanBowie(1997),"EthicalTheoryandBusinessPractice," from
EthicalTheoryandBusiness,5thed.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall,p.3549.
Solomon,Robert(1996),"CorporateRoles,PersonalVirtues:AnAristotelianApproachto
BusinessEthics," fromEthicalIssuesinBusiness:APhilosophicalApproach,5thed.,ed.
ThomasDonaldsonandPatriciaWerhane.NewYork:PrenticeHall,p.4559.
Smart,J.J.C.(2001),"DistributiveJusticeandUtilitarianism," fromBusinessEthics:Readings
andCasesinCorporateMorality,4thed.,ed.W.MichaelHoffman,RobertFrederick,
andMarkSchwartz.NewYork:McGrawHill,p.6670.
Wilson,JamesQ.(2001),"CapitalismandMorality," fromBusinessEthics:ReadingsandCases
inCorporateMorality,4thed.,ed.W.MichaelHoffman,RobertFrederick,andMark
Schwartz.NewYork:McGrawHillp.7079.
Nielson,Kai(2001),"AMoralCaseforSocialism," fromBusinessEthics:ReadingsandCasesin
CorporateMorality,4thed.,ed.W.MichaelHoffman,RobertFrederick,andMark
Schwartz.NewYork:McGrawHill,p.7986.

UNIT5
Friedman,Milton(1991),"TheSocialResponsibilityofBusinessIstoIncreaseItsProfits," from
BusinessEthicsinCanada,2nded.Scarborough:PrenticeHall,p.4145.
Mulligan,Thomas(1991),"ACritiqueofMiltonFriedman'sEssay'TheSocialResponsibilityof
BusinessIstoIncreaseItsProfits'" fromBusinessEthicsinCanada,2nded.
Scarborough:PrenticeHall,p.4650.
Freeman,R.Edward.(2007),"AStakeholderTheoryoftheModernCorporation," fromHonest
Work:ABusinessEthicsReader.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,p.255261.
Solomon,Robert(1992),"AbstractGreed&TheMythoftheProfitMotive," fromEthicsand
Excellence.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,p.3447.
Beam,Craig(1998),"CanVirtueBeTaught," inEducatingtheEthicalProfessional,p.1826.

UNIT6
Shaw,William,andVincentBarry(1989),"TheProfessions," fromMoralIssuesinBusiness,4th
ed.Belmont,CA:Wadsworth,p.480520.
Ladd, John(1995),"TheQuestforaCodeofProfessionalEthics:AnIntellectualandMoral
Confusion," fromComputers,EthicsandSocialValues,ed.DeborahJohnsonandHelen
Nissenbaum.NewYork:PrenticeHall,p.580585.
"SocietyofProfessionalJournalists:CodeofEthics" (1997),fromEthicsinMass
Communication:CasesandControversies,2nded.Belmont,CA:Wadsworth,
p.421422.
Callahan,Joan(1988),"Case3:UniversityRulesandStudentWelfare"and"Case4:TheNurse's
Dilemma," fromEthicalIssuesinProfessionalLife.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,
p.45.
Tittle,Peg(2000),"CaseStudy:Dr.Olivierivs.Apotex," fromEthicalIssuesinBusiness:

Inquiries,Cases,andReadings.Peterborough:BroadviewPress,p.8687.

UNIT7
Carr,Albert(1996),"IsBusinessBluffingEthical?" fromEthicalIssuesinBusiness:A
PhilosophicalApproach,5thed.,ed.ThomasDonaldsonandPatriciaWerhane.New
York:PrenticeHall,p.137142.
Lane,HenryandDonaldSimpson(1991),"BriberyinInternationalBusiness:WhoseProblemis
It?" fromBusinessEthicsinCanada,2nded.,ed.DeborahPoffandWilfridWaluchow.
Scarborough:PrenticeHall,p.390397.
Poff,Deborah(1991),"Case:HonestyandDeceptioninBusiness:FudgingtheTravelClaim,"
fromBusinessEthicsinCanada,2nded.,ed.DeborahPoffandWilfridWaluchow.
Scarborough:PrenticeHallp.522523.
Kelly,Arthur(1996),"Case:ItalianTaxMores," fromEthicalIssuesinBusiness:APhilosophical
Approach,5thed.,ed.ThomasDonaldsonandPatriciaWerhane.NewYork:
PrenticeHall,p.129131.

UNIT8
Lutz,William(1989),"WithTheseWordsICanSellYouAnything," Doublespeak.NewYork:
HarperCollins,p.76103.
Arrington,Robert(1991),"AdvertisingandBehaviorControl," fromBusinessEthicsinCanada,
2nded.,ed.DeborahPoffandWilfridWaluchow.Scarborough:PrenticeHall,
p.469478.
Waide,John(1991),"TheMakingofSelfandWorldinAdvertising," fromBusinessEthicsin
Canada,2nded.,ed.DeborahPoffandWilfridWaluchow.Scarborough:PrenticeHall,
p.489493.
Tittle,Peg(2000),"CaseStudyYouthNewsNetwork(YNN)," fromEthicalIssuesinBusiness:
Inquiries,Cases,andReadings.Peterborough:BroadviewPress,p.128129.
Velasquez,Manuel(2007),"Case9.1ToyWars," fromHonestWork:ABusinessEthics
Reader.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,p.343346.

UNIT9
Shaw,William,andVincentBarry(1995),"TheWorkplace(1):BasicIssues," fromMoralIssues
inBusiness,6thed.Belmont,CA:Wadsworth,p.259296.
Boatright,John(1997),"WomenandFamilyIssues," fromEthicsandtheConductofBusiness,
2nded.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall,p.229235.
Tittle,Peg(2000),"CaseStudySafeway'sJewelryPolicy," fromEthicalIssuesinBusiness:
Inquiries,Cases,andReadings.Peterborough:BroadviewPress,p.266267.

UNIT10
Nagel,Thomas(1997),"ADefenseofAffirmativeAction," fromEthicalTheoryandBusiness,
5thed.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall,p.370374.
Pojman,Louis(1997),"TheMoralStatusofAffirmativeAction," fromEthicalTheoryand
Business,5thed.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall,p.374379.
Bravo,Ellen,andEllenCassedy(1995),"SexualHarassmentintheWorkplace," fromBusiness
Ethics:ReadingsandCasesinCorporateMorality,3rded.,ed.W.MichaelHoffmanand
RobertFrederick.NewYork:McGrawHill,p.326340.
Laframboise,Donna(1996),ThePrincessattheWindow(excerpt).Toronto:PenguinBooks,
p.291299.

Hasnas,John(1996),"Case:ConfrontingHarassment," fromEthicalIssuesinBusiness:A
PhilosophicalApproach,5thed.,ed.ThomasDonaldsonandPatriciaWerhane.New
York:PrenticeHall,p.402407.
Zetlin,Minda(1995),"CombatingDrugsintheWorkplace," fromAnnualEditions:Business
Ethics95/96,DushkinPublishingGroup,p.149155.

UNIT11
DeGeorge,Richard(2001),"EthicalDilemmasforMultinationalEnterprise:APhilosophical
Overview," fromBusinessEthics:ReadingsandCasesinCorporateMorality,4thed.,ed.
W.MichaelHoffman,RobertFrederick,andMarkSchwartz.NewYork:McGrawHill,
p.461465.
Baxter,William(1995),"PeopleorPenguins," fromPeople,Penguins,andPlasticTrees, 2nd
ed.,ed.ChristinePierceandDonaldVanDeVeer.Belmont,CA:Wadsworth,p.381384.
DesJardins,Joseph(1997),"Forests,Pollution,andEconomics," fromEnvironmentalEthics,
2nded.,Belmont,CA:Wadsworth,p.3663.
Beauchamp,Tom,andNormanBowie(1997),"Case1:ForeignAssignment" and"Case2:The
NestleCorporation," fromEthicalTheoryandBusiness,5thed.UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:
PrenticeHall,p.604607.
Callahan,Joan(1998),"Case:TheFordPinto," fromEthicalIssuesinProfessionalLife.New
York:OxfordUniversityPress,p.296297.
Shaw,William,andVincentBarry(1995),"Case11.3:SharingtheBlame" and"Case11.4:
RewrappingtheBigMac," fromMoralIssuesinBusiness,6thed.Belmont,CA:
Wadsworth,p.552555.

B.OnlineCourseNotes

Thesetaketheplaceoflecturesinatraditionalcourse.Theysummarize,commentupon,and
oftengobeyondthereadingsinthecoursepackage.Theycontainstudyhints,takeamoment
activities,exercises,polls,andalistofquestionstobediscussedonthediscussionboard.Each
unitbeginswithlearningoutcomes,alistofreadingsandwebresources,aglossary,anddue
datereminders.

C.Films

Thefilmsareanintegralpartofthecourse.Inmostcasesformaximumunderstandingand
retention,theyarebestviewedafteryouhavereadthearticlesandcoursenotesfortheunit.

DoestheEndJustifytheMeans?Unit3
CanRulesDefineMorality?Unit3
IsEthicsBasedonVirtue?Unit4
WhatisJustice?Unit4
AdvertisingandtheEndoftheWorldUnit8
HerBrilliantCareerUnit9
CrossCulturalUnderstandingUnit11

ThefirstfourfilmsarefromTheExaminedLifeseriesandareononeDVD,whichispackaged

withHerBrilliantCareer.AdvertisingandtheEndoftheWorldisonaseparateDVD.Youwill
notreceiveacopyofCrossCulturalUnderstanding,butmustwatchitasastreamingvideoon
theweb.

Thereareguidingquestionsforeachfilmintheonlinecoursenotesfortheunitsinwhichthey
arefeatured.Oftentheseappearinthequestionsfordiscussionattheendoftheunit.

FilmList

UNIT3

DoestheEndJustifytheMeans?
30min,1998
Series:TheExaminedLifeEpisode#19

Synopsis:Examineshowutilitarianism,asconceivedbyJeremyBentham,considersethical
questions,bylookingatamassivedamprojectbeingbuiltdeepintherainforestofBorneoin
Malaysia.Thedamwilldestroytraditionalculturesandeconomiesandwildlifehabitats,butwill
alsobenefitthegreaterpopulationofMalaysia.Emphasizestheimportanceofconsequencesof
actionsandalsodiscusseswhatisintrinsicallyvaluable,thevalueofnatureandthedeepecology
movement.

CanRulesDefineMorality?
30min,1998
Series:TheExaminedLifeEpisode#20
Synopsis:Addressesrightsbasedtheoriesofethics,particularlythatofImmanuelKant,and
exploressomeoftheimplicationsofhisviewsforparticularissuesinethics.

UNIT4

IsEthicsBasedonVirtue?
30min,1998
Series:TheExaminedLifeEpisode#21

Synopsis:ExploresAristotle=sandotherancientviewsofvirtue,thegoodlifeandcontemporary
virtueethicswithitsfocusonemotions,personalrelationships,character,andlongtermvalues.

WhatisJustice?
30min,1998
Series:TheExaminedLifeEpisode#24

Synopsis:Exploresquestionsaboutdistributivejustice,bothfromanationalandglobal
perspective,andexaminestheviewsofAristotle,Marx,JohnRawlsandRobertNozick.

UNIT8

AdvertisingandtheEndoftheWorld

40min,1998
Distributor&Producer:MediaEducationFoundation

Synopsis:Thisfilmpresentsacompellingandaccessibleargumentaboutconsumerismandits
impactontheearth'sfuture.SutJhallycontendsthatadvertisingisthemostconcentrated
effortinhistorytochangepublicconsciousness.Theaveragepersonisexposedto3600
commercialimpressionseveryday,makingadvertisingthemostpervasivemessagesystemin
theconsumerculture.Understandingitsinfluencedemandsthatwepayattentionnotjustto
isolatedadvertisementsbuttothewayinwhichadvertisingfunctionsasaculturalsystem.

UNIT9

HerBrilliantCareer
42min,2005
Distributor:Cinefete

Synopsis:Wheneverpowerandmoneycometogether,nomatterwhattheprofession,women
stillremainnotablyabsent.Althoughwomenmakeupmorethan45percentofthelabourforce
inCanada,lessthanhalfofallpubliccorporationshaveanywomenontheirboards.Whatisit
aboutwomenthatblocktheirprogress?Malegroupsstrivetodriveoutordrivedownwomen
whodonotadoptthevaluesandbehaviourofmasculineidentityintheworkplaceandthen
recoilinhorroratthosesurvivorswhohavebecomesomasculinizedineconomicand
organizationalbehavioraltermsthattheirvariancefromthefemalestereotypeistreatedbythe
organizationasdeviant.Thisprogramexaminesdiscriminationintheworkplaceandpoliticsand
introducestheviewertoacontroversialprogramforwomenexecutives.JeanHollandhas
developedauniqueworkshopinCaliforniathataimstohelpambitiousfemaleexecutivesget
ahead.ShecallsittheBullyBroadsprogram.It'sallaboutwomenmodifyingaggressive
behaviourtomakeitinaman'sworld.Shewhipsherfemalefirebrandsintoshape,thetheory
beingthatoncethey'vegraduatedfromhercoursethey'llbemoresuccessfulinnavigatingthe
maledominatedcorporateculturefromwhichtheycame.Althoughsomewomenattackthe
programasantifeminist,Hollandclaims85%ofhergraduatesgetpromotedwithinoneyearof
finishingtheprogram.

UNIT11

CrossCulturalUnderstanding
45min,1999

Synopsis:Aguideforindividualsinvolvedininternationalbusiness,designedtoprovideabetter
understandingofthedifferentprotocolsandcustomsnecessaryforeffectivecrosscultural
communication.

D.WebReadings&WebResources

Therearelinkstowebmaterialslistedatthebeginningofmostunitsintheonlinecourse
notes.WebReadingsshouldbetreatedaspartofthecoursepackagethathappenstobe
online.WebResourcesaresupplementarymaterialthatisavailableforyourinterest.


Unit2WebResources

Ethics,fromTheInternetEncyclopediaofPhilosophy
http://www.iep.utm.edu/e/ethics.htm

Unit3WebResources

Utilitarianism(variousresources)
http://www.utilitarianism.com

J.SMill,Utilitarianism,ch.2
http://www.utilitarianism.com/mill2.htm

DavidPearce,BraveNewWorld?ADefenseofParadiseEngineering
http://www.huxley.net

W.D.Ross=sMoralTheory
http://www.hu.mtu.edu/~tlockha/hu329ov8.htm

ASimpleEthicalTheoryBasedonW.D.Ross
http://www.wku.edu/~jan.garrett/ethics/rossethc.htm

Unit4WebReading

UNUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights
http://www.un.org/rights/50/decla.htm

Unit4WebResource

AmericanDeclarationofIndependence
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/

Unit5WebResources

StanleyMilgramBasics
http://www.stanleymilgram.com/milgram.php

ResourcesandResearchonWalMart
http://walmartwatch.com/pages/research_library

Unit6WebResources

AbouttobaccoindustrywhistleblowerJeffreyWigand

http://www.corporatenarc.com/insider.php

AboutaccountingwhistleblowersCynthiaCooperandSherronWatkins
www.time.com/time/subscriber/personoftheyear/2002/poyintro.html

Unit7WebReading

SisselaBokonLyingandMoralChoiceinPrivateandPublicLife AnAmplificationby
RobertK.Fullinwider.http://www.infed.org/thinkers/bok_lying.htm

Unit8WebReading

CanadianCodeofAdvertisingStandards
www.adstandards.com/en/Standards/canCodeOfAdStandards.asp

Unit8WebResource

Quebec'sConsumerProtectionAct
www.mediaawareness.ca/english/resources/legislation/canadian_law/provincial/queb
ec/consumer_protection_actqc.cfm

Unit9WebResources

"EEOC'sPoliticallyCorrectCrusadeAgainstHootersaWastedEffort," Nation's
RestaurantNews,December4,1995:.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n48_v29/ai_17836108/pg_1

JeanHolland'swebsite
http://www.breakingtheglassceiling.com

(6)CourseWork&MarkingScheme

FinalExam35%
Assignmentsdo2of330%
Essay20%
DiscussionandParticipation15%

A.FinalExam(35%)

TherewillbeaproctoredFinalExamscheduledbytheRegistrarduringtheexamperiodforthis
term.ItwillconsistmainlyofShortAnswerandEssayquestions,plusafewMultipleChoice
questions,anditiscumulative,coveringmaterialfromtheentirecourse.Adviseonpreparing
fortheExamisgiveninUnit12.

B.Assignments(30%)

TheseareduetheWednesdayofWeek5(#1),Week9(#2),andWeek11(#3).You
needonlydo2of3,andtheyareworth15%each.

Suggestedlengthforeachassignmentis7501000words.Additionalresearchbeyond
coursereadingsandmaterialsisnotrequired,althoughsomemayfindithelpfulfor
somequestions.Youareexpectedtoreferencequotationsfromcoursematerials.I'm
notpickyaboutformataslongasit'seasyformetolocateandcheckthem

Assignment1dueonWednesdayofWeek5(7501000words)

AnswerONEofthefollowingfourquestions.

1.Whybemoral?Ifsomeonequestionstheconventionalcustomsandlawsoftheir
cultureandreligion,whatreasondotheyhavetobegood?Youmaydrawonethical
theoriesalongwithyourownpersonalreasonsforbeingmoral.(Units24)

2.Developyourownversionofutilitariantheory.Makeitaspreciseanddefensibleas
possible.Youwillneedtospecify:
* Whoseutilityistocount?(allhumansequally?givemoreweighttoournearestand
dearest?whataboutnonhumananimals?)
*Whatvalueistobemaximized?preferences?pluralist?)
*Whethertopursueitdirectlyorindirectly?(actvs.rule?)

Explainwhyyoudevelopyourtheoryinthisway.Thentrytodefenditagainstseveralof
themostcommonobjectionstoutilitarianism.Finally,considerwhetheryourbest
possibleversionofthetheoryismorallyadequate.Whyorwhynot?(Unit3)

3.ConsiderthereadingsandcoursenotesforargumentsmadebyJamesQ.Wilsonand
KaiNielsenandotherreadingsandcoursenotesrelatedtojustice,andaddressthe
question:AIscapitalismjust? Hint:youwillneedtoconsiderdifferentideasofwhat
capitalismandjusticeare,anddifferentargumentsforeachside.(Unit4)

4.MiltonFriedmanandRobertSolomonbothseethemselvesasdefendersofthe
moralityofbusiness.Outlinetheircontrastingstrategies.Whichapproachdoyouthink
isbetterasadefenceofbusinessandasanapproachtobusinessethics?(Unit5)

Assignment2dueonWednesdayofWeek9(7501000words)
AnswerONEofthefollowingthreequestions.
1. AnalyzeCase11.1"VictimsofConfidentiality" or11.4"Midwifery."Trytoaddress
thediscussionquestionsinthecourseofyouranswer.(Unit6)

2.DiscussthestrengthsandweaknessesofAlbertCarr'spositionin"IsBusinessBluffing
Ethical?"Youmayconsiderhisanalogybetweenbusinessandpoker,hisideasabout
bluffingandlying,thesimilaritiesbetweenhisviewandFriedman'sstakeholdertheory,
oranythingelsethatseemsworthdiscussing.(Unit7)

3.Addressoneoftheethicalissuesraisedbyadvertisinganddefendyourownposition
withreferencetocoursematerial.(Unit8)

Assignment3dueWednesdayofWeek11(7501000words)

AnswerONEofthefollowingthreequestions.Suggestedlengthis45pages.

1.AnalyzeeitherCase6.2"FreedomtoFire" orCase6.3"SpeakingOutAboutMalt."
Inyouranswerdealwithsomeofthediscussionquestionslistedattheendofthe
case,plusanyotherissuesthatseemimportant.(Unit9)

2.Analyze"CaseStudy:ConfrontingHarassment"byJohnHasnasintermsofthe
followingquestions.Agoodanswerwillattendtotherelevantdetailsofthecase.

(a)TowhatextentisthebehaviourandviewpointofDominiqueFranconjustifiable?To
whatextentisthebehaviourandviewpointofEllsworthTooheydefensible?
(b)WhatalternativesarenowopentoHowardRoark?Whatconsiderationsarerelevant
tohisdecision?Whatshouldhedo?
(c)SupposethatDominiquedoesfilesuitagainstTooheyandthemagazine,andyouare
herattorney?BasedonthefactsaboutU.S.sexualharassmentlawinthearticleby
BravoandCassedy,howwouldyouarguehercase?Supposeyouarethedefence
attorneyforTooheyandthemagazine?Howwouldyouarguetheircase?Whichsideis
strongest?(Unit10)

3.Imaginethatyouhavebeenaskedtoexaminethematerialin"CombatingDrugsin
theWorkplace" anddevelopasubstanceabusepolicyforyourworkplace.Specifythe
workplaceyouaredealingwith.Outlineyourpolicy,makingsuretobalancetheneedto
preventsubstanceabusewithrespectforemployeeprivacyandfreedom.Showhow
yourpolicywoulddealwithatleast4casesdiscussedinthearticle.(Unit10)

C.Essay(20%)dueonFridayofWeek12

Essaysshouldbebetween12001800wordsandhandedinonthelastdayoflectures
(oftentheMondayofWeek13).Youshoulddealwithsomeaspectofethicaltheory
orsomeissueinbusinessandprofessionalethics.Youshoulddevelopanddefenda
positiononanissue,orcriticallyassesstheviewsandargumentsofanauthorwho
addressesacontroversialethicaltopic.

Youmayalsodoyouressayintheformofacaseanalysis,dealingwithacurrent
businessorprofessionalethicsissuethatisreportedinthemedia.Youareexpectedto
researchallsidesofthecaseandprovideproperdocumentationofyoursources.You

willneedtodescribethecaseandthenanalyzeit,makingappropriateuseofconcepts
andmaterialspresentedinthecourse.

Idealtopicsincludeethicalissuesanddilemmasthatariseinaparticularprofessionand
anycontroversialissuesinbusinessethics.SeeUnit12formoretopics.

GeneralAdviceonwritingPhilosophyEssays

1.I'mlookingforknowledgeoftherelevantcoursematerial,understandingand
evaluationoftheargumentsinvolved,andsomeoriginalandcoherentthinking.Styleis
relevant.Thisinvolvessuchthingsasclarity,organization,grammar,andspelling.

2.Theessayisadefenceofyourownpositionregardingaquestionofethical
significance. Togiveyourpositionaworthydefence,imaginethatyourreaderis
skepticalaboutyourconclusionbutsympathetictowellformulatedarguments.When
arguingagainstaposition,imaginehowyouropponentwouldreply.

3.Strongargumentationandoriginalityofthoughtarehighlyvaluedinphilosophy
papers.Thiscouldinvolvesubtleanddetailedanalysisofanissue,concept,orauthor,
anditcouldinvolvecomparingandconnectingdifferentideasinordertodevelopyour
ownview.Accuracyinyourtreatmentoftextsisalsoimportant.Asareader,Iwantyou
togivemethemostfortheleast thatis,tomakelotsofpoints,defendthem
adequately,backthemupwithappropriateattentiontocoursematerial,andtodothis
withoutpaddingorrepetition.

4.Markswillbedeductedforpoorwriting(paragraphorganization,grammarand
diction),soproofreadcarefully.Ialsocomedownhardonpapersthatclearlymisread
anauthor,thatareselfcontradictory,orthatsaylittleinavagueway.

5.AllideastakenfromsomeoneelseshouldbereferencedinMLAorAPAformat,evenif
theyarenotdirectquotations.Pagereferencesmustbegivenforalldirectquotations,
eveniftheyareinthecoursepackage.Ifyouaredoingacaseanalysis,consider
submittingacopyofyourmajorsourceforthecaseifitisbriefandwouldbehardfor
metolocate.

D.DiscussionandParticipation(15%)

Thisistheparticipationcomponentofyourmark.Youearnitintwowaysbyaddressing
theQuestionsforDiscussion(whichareattheendofeachunit)onthemessageboard,and
bydoingTakeaMomentactivities.

QuestionsforDiscussion

Youshouldmake10substantiveposts(ofatleast50words)onthemessageboardduring
theterm.Thiscouldinvolvediscussingonequestionatlength,oraddressingseveralbriefly,
orrespondingtoanotherstudent'spost.Youcanearn10marksbydoingthisPLUSatleast5

TakeaMomentactivities(seebelow).Anadditional5markswillbebasedonthequalityof
yourDiscussionPostsandTakeaMoments.

YoushouldaddresstheQuestionsforDiscussionforaunitduringtheweekwearecovering
thatunit.Oneadvantageofpostingearlyintheweekisthatyoucanbethefirsttoaddressa
questionandwon'thavetoworryaboutthetopicbeingalreadyexhaustedbyother
students.Thosepostinglateshouldaddresswhatothershavesaid,ortakeanewangle,or
findaquestionthathasn'talreadybeendiscussed.(Thisdoesn'tapplytothefirstweek;
everyonecandothesameselfintroductionquestions.)

Studentscandiscussthequestionsforaunitforuptooneadditionalweekafterthatunit
iscovered.Responsesafterthatwillbeconsideredlate.Youmayearnnomorethan2
participationmarksforthediscussionofaparticularunit,nomatterhowmanyresponses
yougive.

Finally,IaskthatyoucopyallyourdiscussionpostsintoaWordfileandsubmitthemby
FridayofWeek12.Postsshouldappearinchronologicalorderandyoumightindicateon
whichdateeachwasmade.Thatwillhelpmeassessyourdiscussionmark.Formoreonthe
DiscussionBoardandwhatI'mlookingforinyourdiscussionposts,seeUnit1.

TakeaMomentActivities

Youshouldalsodoatleast5TakeaMomentactivitiesonyourownduringtheterm,and
submitthemFridayofWeek12inthesameWordfilewithyourDiscussionPosts.Responses
of50150wordsaresufficienttoshowyou'vethoughtaboutandengagedwiththe
questions.Thereare22TakeaMomentactivitiestochoosefrom.Youwillfindthem
scatteredthroughoutthecoursenotes.

2inUnit1
3inUnit2
1inUnit3
2inUnit4
3inUnit5
4inUnit6
1inUnit7
3inUnit8
3inUnit11

ItiswisetokeepupwithQuestionsforDiscussionandTakeaMomentactivitiesasyoudo
eachunit,sinceyouwillbebusierwithassignmentsandessaystowardstheendofterm.
TheDiscussionPostsandTakeaMomentsshouldbesubmittedasonedocument,astheywillbe
markedasoneassignment.

OpinionPolls

AnotherinteractivefeatureofthecourseistheOpinionPolls.Theseareembeddedin
theonlinecoursenotes,justliketheTakeaMomentActivities.Youwillbeaskedto
voteyouropiniononvariousquestions,andcanviewtheresultsuptothatpoint.There

willbeanotherplacetoviewtheresultsofallpolls,soyoucanconvenientlykeeptrack
ofclassopinionallinoneplace.Thesearepurelyforstudyandnotformarks.

(7)HowtoSucceed

KeepingUp:Onlinecoursesgiveyouthefreedomtolearnatyourownpace.Inthiscourse,
therearenoweeklyquizzesormidtermexamsforcingyoutostudythematerialpartway
through.Howeverdon=tabusethisfreedombyallowingyourselftofallbehind,oryouwilldiga
deepholeforyourself.

Awisestudentwillkeepupwiththereadingsinthefirsthalfofterm,orevengetslightly
ahead,becausethemajorityofAssignmentsandtheEssayareduetowardstheend.Ifyou
don=tReadandThinkinthefirsthalf,youwon'thavethetimeorbepreparedtoWriteand
Studylateron.ItisalsogoodpolicytokeepupwithyourDiscussionBoardPosts,keepingin
mindtherulethattheymustbemadewithinoneweekofwhenaunitiscoveredtocountfor
participation.

StudyingfromtheOnlineCourseNotes:Thissetofdetailedlecturenotesisyourmostvaluable
studyresource.Theysummarize,commentupon,andaskguidingquestionsregardingthe
readingsandfilms,theycontaininteractiveactivitiesandaglossary,andtheypresentsome
meatycontentnotcoveredelsewhere.Theyareespeciallyimportantanddetailedinregardto
ethicaltheoryinthefirstseveralunits.Laterthebalanceshiftstoshorteronlinenotesand
morereadinginthecoursepackage.

SomestudentsmaywanttoprinttheOnlineCourseNotesandassemblethemlikeabook.
Advantagesofthisarethatyoucanunderlinekeypointsforstudypurposes,anddon'thaveto
readoffacomputerscreen.Disadvantagesarethatyouwillneedtogobackonlinetoseemy
responsestotheTakeaMomentActivities,participateintheOpinionPolls,anddoother
interactiveexercises.However,ifyougetinthehabitofdoingthisafterreadingeachunit,you
willbefine.

(8)StudentSupport

CentreforOnlineLearning:http://www.wlu.ca/onlinelearning
Thislinkprovidesspecificinformationrelatedtotakingdistanceeducationcourses(e.g.,howto
submitassignments,midtermschedules,forms)aswellaslinkstootheruniversityservicesand
supports.

LibrarySupport:library.wlu.ca
Thislinkprovidesgenerallibraryinformation,researchaidsandtechniquesforlearnersata
distance.

MyLearningSpaceResources:www.wlu.ca/edtech
ThislinkprovidesstudentswithhelpfulhintsonnavigatingtheirwaythroughtheMLS
softwareincludinghowtouseimportantcommunicationsfeaturessuchastheBulletinBoard
andEmail.

SupportContacts:
MyLearningSpaceRelatedProblems:MyLS@wlu.ca
GeneralComputerQuestions:ITSHelpDeskatWLUext.4357orhelp@wlu.ca
ComputerHardwareSupport:WLUBookstoreatjkrueger@wlu.ca

(9)CoursePolicies

SubmissionsPolicy:

ThetwoAssignmentsyouneedtodo,themajorEssay,andyourcollectedTakeaMoments
ActivitiesandDiscussionBoardPostsshouldbesubmitted(droppedofforemailed)tothe
OnlineLearningOfficeonorbeforetheduedate.TheywillprintoffcopieswhichIwillpickup
acoupleofdaysaftertheduedate(usuallyorFridayforworkdueWednesday),sincethey
requiretimeforprocessing.

Ifyouaresubmittinglate,youshouldemailyourpapertomedirectlyatcabeam@golden.net
ThatsavesmetheinconvenienceofcheckingforitattheOnlineLearningOffice.Ifyouare
unsurewhetheryourpaperwillarriveontime,youcanemailmeacopyasaprecaution.IfIget
thepapercopywhenIcollectupsubmissionsforthatassignment,Iwillcountyourassignment
asontime;ifIdon't,Icanatleastmarktheelectronicversion.

LatePolicy:

Iwillacceptassignmentsandessaysforoneweekaftertheduedate.Thoselatewithoutgood
reasonmaybegradedlesscharitably(Iwilldeduct25%maximum).Papersmorethanone
weeklatemaynotbeacceptedunlessyouhavepriorpermissionoravalidexcuse(for
example:medicalreasonswithproperdocumentation).Sincelateworkistobeemailedtome
directly,youwon'tgetapapercopybackwithcomments.

Turnitin:

StudentsarerequiredtosubmitEssays(butnotassignmentsoranyotherwork)to
Turnitin.com.UsetheDropboxlinkonthehomepageforthis,nospecialpasswordis
necessary.Remember,yourEssaystillmustbesubmittedtoOnlineLearninglikeeveryother
assignmentsothatpapercopiescanbeprintedforme.

CommunicationPolicy:

Thebestwaytocontactmeisatcabeam@golden.net.Youwillnormallygetaresponsewithin
acoupleofdays.YoucanalsosendmemessageswithinMyLearningSpace,butresponsetime
islikelytobemuchslower(especiallyinweekswhennothingisdue).SometimesIwillusethe
ImportantNoticessectionoftheDiscussionBoardorthemailfunctioninMyLearningSpaceto
sendannouncementstotheentireclass.Myphonenumberis5198841542.Itisbesttocall
meonlyinanemergencyorifyouneedtotalktomeaboutsomethingatgreaterlengththan
canbeefficientlydonebyemail.

(10)UniversityPolicies

ExaminationDeferrals:TheAcademicDatesectionoftheCalendarclearlystatestheexam
periodforeachsemester.Studentsarerequiredtoreservethistimefortheirexams.For
informationthatdescribesthespecialcircumstancesforexamdeferment,consultthe
Universitycalendar.

SpecialNeeds:StudentswithdisabilitiesorspecialneedsareadvisedtocontactLaurier's
AccessibleLearningCentre(www.mylaurier.ca/accessible.htm)forinformationregardingits
servicesandresources.StudentsareencouragedtoreviewtheCalendar
(www.wlu.ca/calendars/undergrad)forinformationregardingallservicesavailableoncampus.

AcademicIntegrity/Misconduct(cheating):Laurieriscommittedtoacultureofintegritywithin
andbeyondtheclassroom.Thisculturevaluestrustworthiness(i.e.,honesty,integrity,
reliability),fairness,caring,respect,responsibilityandcitizenship.Together,wehaveashared
responsibilitytoupholdthiscultureinouracademicandnonacademicbehaviour.The
Universityhasadefinedpolicywithrespecttoacademicmisconduct.Youareresponsiblefor
familiarizingyourselfwiththispolicyandthepenaltyguidelines,andarecautionedthatin
additiontofailureinacourse,astudentmaybesuspendedorexpelledfromtheUniversityfor
academicmisconductandtheoffencemayappearontheirtranscript.Therelevantpolicycan
befoundatLaurier'sacademicintegritywebsite(www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity)alongwith
resourcestoeducateandsupportyouinupholdingacultureofintegrity.IgnoranceofLaurier's
academicmisconductpolicyisnotadefense.

Plagiarism:WilfridLaurierUniversityusessoftwarethatcancheckforplagiarism.Studentsmay
beaskedtosubmittheirwrittenworkinelectronicformandhaveitcheckedforplagiarism.