See Topnet for Current Semester Version of PHIL 321 Syllabus

2004 Version of PHIL 321 Syllabus

PHIL 321 001--Call No. 08327
Spring 2004-11:00-12:15 TR
304 Cherry Hall 745-5740

Instructor: Dr. Jan Garrett
Office: 306 Cherry Hall
Phone: 745-5740
E-Mail: jan.garrett@wku.edu

Morality and Business

Course Web Site: http://www.wku.edu/~jan.garrett/321/ Catalog Description:

An introduction to the study of moral choice in the business world. Topics include ethical foundations of business practice in general and criteria for evaluating the moral dimensions of issues such as relations with consumers, environmental impact, quality of work life, hiring, advertising, price setting, and corporate governance.

Basic General Education Information.

The course fulfills a General Education Requirement as a Humanities elective (B.II). Under the older (1993-2000) General Education Requirements, it has the following Special Emphasis designation: (w) (ec). That is, it has a writing component and is considered an "ethics course."

General Education Goals Met By the Course:

critical thought; proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking; capacity for objectivity and appreciation for values governing ethical choice; an understanding of humans as social beings; and an understanding of the interdependence between humanity and the natural environment.

Discussion of the Course in Relation to the General Education Goals:

The course fosters critical thought by providing a conceptual framework in which theories of right action can be evaluated and by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of influential theories of justice, rights, and utility. The same critical methods advance "capacity for objectivity." The social foundations of business shape the entire presentation of the course. The theories and cases discussed promote appreciation for values governing ethical choice. The course fosters proficiency in reading, writing and speaking through (i) discussion of, and examination on, theoretical material in print; (ii) requirement that papers and outlines totaling 10-12 pages be submitted; (iii) organization of small group discussions concerning business ethics cases; and (iv) provision of incentive for students to express their views by speaking in small group discussions, in reports to the whole class, and in day-to-day discussion. The course promotes an understanding of the interdependence between humanity and the Earth by surveying the environmental impact of business and by discussing the application of traditional and contemporary ethical theories to environmental problems.

Required Texts:

Manuel Velasquez, Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases, 5th ed. (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 2002). Hereafter: V

Other material, including handouts and material on library reserve or on the Internet, may be assigned. Plan to copy some reserve material and/or print material from the Internet.

Main Factors in the Determination of the Grade

(The following assignments and weightings are subject to reasonable modification in the event of special circumstances):

A. Essay Papers and Outline.

1. 5 percent. Small Case Study Using Ross' Prima Facie Duties -- 500 words
2. 16 percent. Larger Case Study (select from designated cases) -- 1000 words
3. 5 percent. Outline of Major Topical Paper -- 200 or more words
4. 20 percent. Major Topical Paper -- 1300 words

Original-work word count for items 1, 2, and 4 must total at least 2800 words.

B. Midterm, 20 percent; final exam, 20-23, at officially scheduled time.

C. Class participation, 8 percent.

Attendance alone will count no more than 5 percent. Some activity may involve small group discussions about assigned topics or cases. (You will be expected to come to class prepared for these discussions.) Students may earn points by volunteering to report the group's deliberations to the class as a whole, and by engaging in the open discussion that will follow these reports. Questions inviting the instructor to further explain lecture material are always welcome, as are insights and reasoning concerning course topics.

D. Miscellaneous. 3-6 percent

Report related to Major Paper (3 percent). Study questions for sections of the textbook are available on the course website. You may be asked to turn in answers to some of these questions.

Notice to Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services, Room 445, Potter Hall. The OFSDS telephone number is (270) 745 5004 V/TDD.

Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services.

Partial Bibliography of Books and Journals Relevant to Business Ethics

     http://www.wku.edu/~jan.garrett/321bibl.htm

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Morality and Business--Tentative Course Outline

I. Preliminaries (Read V, chapter 1)

     A. Discussion of syllabus; morality and ethics (V 7-13)
     B. Kohlberg on Moral Development (V 27-33)
     C. The Nature of Moral Reasoning (V 33-37)
          Ross' Prima Facie Guidelines (http://www.wku.edu/~jan.garrett/320ross.htm)
     D. The Case for Ethics in Business (V 38-46)
     E. Persons as moral agents; moral responsibility (V 46-51)
     F. The organizational context of moral responsibility (V 51-55)

II. A Framework for Social Justice (indebted to John Rawls and Immanuel Kant)
     A. The basic structure of society as something to be evaluated
     B. Persons and the Social Structure
     C. The first moral power (which accounts for diversity)
     D. The second moral power (which provides a common ground)
     E. Sketching a sharable conception of justice (V 116-118, 174-78, 201-204, 451)
          1. Liberties
          2. Equality of Opportunity (V 408-409)
     F. The nature of rights (V 90-93)
     G. Types of rights (V 93-96)
     H. The basis of rights (V 96-101)

III. Fair and Unfair Trade (Read chapter 6, as a whole, starting with V 332-339)
     A. The Contract Model (V 339-48)
     B. The Due Care Model (V 348-352)
     C. Advertising ethics (V 355-56, 359-63)
     D. Consumer Privacy (V 363-68)

IV. More Concepts, More Theories (Read chapter 2, as a whole)
     A. Justice Vocabulary (V 105-115, 120-122)
     B. A "Comprehensive Liberal" View of Rights (V 118-120)
     C. Libertarianism and Locke (V 103-105, 115-16; see also 175-178)
     D. Challenges to C. (V 178-183)
     E. Care Ethics and Virtue Ethics (V 122-24, 491-95; 132-141)

V. Utilitarianism and Some Applications (Read relevant parts of chapters 2, 3. and 4)
     A. What is Utilitarianism? (V 75-88)
     B. Defenses and Criticisms of the competitive market ideal (V 183-88; 220-233)
     C. Monopoly and oligopoly (V 233-44)

VI. Employer-Employee Relations (Read chapter 8 and parts of chapter 7)
     A. The Rational Model and the Political Model of the Organization (V 442-48, 463-67)
     B. Employee Rights Issues: (V 467-70, 475-84)
     C. Other justice issues: wages, health, job satisfaction (V 457-63)
     D. Employee theft (V 451-53)
     G. Discrimination and Sexual Harassment (V 388-410, 414-15, 410-14)

VII. Applications II (Read relevant parts of chapter 4 and 8)
     A. Bribery (V 244-46, 448-480)
     B. Whistle blowing (471-475; review 46-55)
     C. Insider Trading (V 453-457)

VIII. Environmental Ethics (Read chapter 5, V 266-315)