Business Ethics STUDY GUIDE

Describe Rawls' two principles of justice in detail. What is his justification for these principles?

1ST principle: society should be one where you are maximizing liberty rights i. Each person's basic liberty should be maximized. Each person should have the most amount of freedom and rights possible that the society can provide for dependent on the resources of that society. 2ND PRINCIPLE: Inequalities are okay if they are to everyone's advantage and specifically to the least well off in society Teacher talks more than the students (inequality) 1. But this inequality is to the advantage of the least well off in this class. (students who did not read, come to class, etc) Whatever position of power is in society is open to all people regardless of any fact about them. Any person can have a position of power. (doctor, government official.. etc)

Describe the first formulation of the categorical imperative.

Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.

What actions are unconditionally good according to Kant?

Actions that are in accordance to your goodwill

Define social contract theory

By living in a society you get certain benefits in virtue of being in a society. We all come together and inquisvely sign the social contract which is what justified them. The social contract is a way in which we will act in a certain way towards each other.

Define deontological ethics.

Doing things because it is your duty to perform them Not thinking about your actions

What did Mill mean by difference in the quality of pleasures? (Compare higher versus lower pleasures. Provide an example of each.)

Higher pleasures are based in higher distinctive human capacity (fulfilling goals and conversation in a way that is unique to humans) We can plan ahead in a strategic way, such as college. No animal can do that. The depth of the conversation we can have b. Lower pleasures are those we share with other animals i. Eating mating sleeping

Why is the veil of ignorance important to generating principles of justice?

It guarantees that people are making the most fair decisions for the most amount of people because they do not have any understanding of their identity thus causing everyone to act in the most morally right way. - Since one does not know any identity characteristic about themselves, they think about all groups and try to maximize equality between all groups. If you are rational you are going to maximize every social group right to the highest extent

What are some good aspects of Kant's view? Objections?

Kant's view is very Rigorous, and sometimes not in accordance with human nature Once you discover the universal laws, they are universal in the sense that they are supposed to be applicable to all scenarios It is wrong to lie in every scenario

Using the first formulation of the categorical imperative, discuss why lying to satisfy self-interest is wrong according to Kant.

Lying for one's own self interest, This Maxim is a universal law, everyone must lie in a situation to satisfy their own personal interest if everyone is constantly lying you wouldn't know who's telling the truth

Do the consequences of our actions affect the goodness of our will according to Kant?

No, because we can't control the outcome of our actions or intention of will. However, we might have a good intention and we end up doing it but it turns out horrible. If the moral ... was based on our actions then it's up to chance.

Business ethics deals with normative instead of descriptive claims. What does that mean?

Normative i. How things should be, How people should act ii. Ethics Descriptive i. How things actually are ii. Psychology

What determines one's good will?

One's sense of duty to uphold the moral laws

According to Kant, why is even happiness not unconditionally good?

People derive happiness from perverse things, and we don't intend to think that's not a good thing. Not everyone is deserving of happiness (ie. hitler)

What are the two approaches to business ethics?

Structural approach: how we should structure the market or have regulation such that business strives in an ethical way. Individualist approach: is more about autonomy, having responsibility assigned to individuals, everyone doing their bit of work and then putting it all together.

Describe the second formulation of the categorical imperative.

The principle of ends, Always treat people as ends, never as a means to your ends, treat them with what they deserve

What is the original position? (maybe on exam)

The scenario in which people come together to create the society and discuss specific conditions.

What is business ethics?

The study of the ethical dimension of exchanges of goods and services

What is the veil of ignorance? What are the sorts of things you know behind the veil? What do you not know?

The veil of ignorance is a policy to make sure that we come up with the most fair and just rules to form a society. We don't know our identity (gender, race, ethnicity, able body or not, all these features about identity) We can only be totally fair and maximally empathetic when we do not know our true identity

Describe utilitarianism. Are the consequences of our actions considered in determining our moral character? What is the greatest happiness principle?

Utilitarianism: The moral evaluation of a person is determined by the consequences of their actions. A person who is always acting to maximize the most amount of happiness for the most amount of people is doing right If your actions are resulting in unhappiness or pain for the most amount of people one can say the person causing these feelings is being unethical. Your great motives do not matter if this is the case.