Topic: Business Ethics

Some people argue that ‘business ethics’ is a contradiction in
terms. If that is correct then one must be unethical in order to be
a successful business person. Others argue that the only justifiable
goal a business person can have is to maximize profit. If that is
right then the only way to be an ethical business person is to try
to be a successful one.

In this course you will learn ways to evaluate the ethical
legitimacy of business models and practices. For instance, you will
learn how to answer the following questions. Is pursuing profit
maximization legitimate per se? What ethical obligations does one
have to one’s clients or customers? If one is managing someone
else’s business, what ethical obligations does one have to the
owner? What lengths should one go to avoid groupthink and self-
deception in one’s business decisions? In business communications,
what is the difference between positive spin and misleading
rhetoric?  What is the difference between a business strategy that
is merely bold and one that is unethical? How much responsibility
does the individual have for a collective decision? How does one do
what one is told without selling one’s soul?

You will have weekly reading assignments and take a weekly quiz over
them. You will also have two exams and a final paper.
Readings for the course include articles by Marcia Baron, Albert
Carr, W. K. Clifford, Edwin Curley, Harry Frankfurt, Milton
Friedman, Robert Nozick, John Rawls, and Susan Wolf, among others.