...Ruth Benedict (depicted on the right, above), a 20th-century anthropologist, articulates the thinking behind the widely held view of ethical relativism. Benedict writes, “Normality...is culturally defined,” and “the concept of the normal is properly a variant of the concept of [the] good” (Benedict [from“Anthropology and the Abnormal,]” qtd. in Rosenstand, p. 146*). So, in essence, what Benedict is saying is that what any culture or society deems to be good, right, or correct action and morally good, or at least morally appropriate, behavior will in fact be such with respect to that culture or society. This leaves the door open for a wide variety of ways of life, of ethical codes, of individual behavior to be acknowledged not only as acceptable, but also as morally good. By contrast, Christina Hoff Sommers (depicted on the left, above) argues that there are basic human virtues that are not relative to time, place, circumstance or situation. Sommers writes, “It is wrong to mistreat a child, to humiliate someone, to torment an animal. To think only of yourself, to steal, to lie, to break promises, And on the positive side: it is right to be considerate and respectful of others, to be charitable and generous.” (Sommers, qtd. in Rosenstand, p. 480*). You may want to read "Why Can't a Woman Be More Like a Man," an article written by Sommers published in the March/April, 2008 issue of The American, a publication of the American Enterprise Institute. You can link to this article by...
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...the explicit reflection on, and the systematic study of the former (Joseph Omoregbe 1993 p.3)2. How then do we decide what is morally right? Is it based on universal laws or divine instructions? Are laws truly universal? If they are not, how then can the rightness or wrongness of culturally divergent societies be determined? Philosophers agree and disagree in varied proportions on answers to these questions. It is normal if you disagree too. For the purpose of this paper, an attempt will be made to look into the concept of ethical relativism, its importance and areas of deviation from ethical absolutism. History of Ethical Relativism Though moral relativism did not become a prominent topic in philosophy or elsewhere until the twentieth century, it has ancient origins. In the classical Greek world, both the historian Herodotus and the sophist Protagoras appeared to endorse some form of relativism. The early Sophist Greek philosopher Protagoras provides an early philosophical precursor to modern Moral Relativism in his assertion that "man is the measure of all things". The Greek historian Herodotus (c. 484 - 420 B.C.) observed that each society typically regards its own belief system and way of doing things as better than all others. Plato also pointed out that much of what is believed to be...
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...Coursework Title: | Paper 1 Paper 2 Research Essay Consulting Project Dissertation Proposal Dissertation | Tutor: | Dr Valerie Stead | * All submissions for coursework assessment should be your own work. * Any copying from the work of others will be heavily penalized. * Allowing other students to copy your work will also be penalized. I hereby confirm that I have read and understood the University’s regulations relating to plagiarism (as summarized in the MA in Human Resources and Consulting Participant Handbook) and that the work to which this declaration is attached is my own. Signature of Student: | | Qualitative Research Methods Review Taking “The Supportive expatriate spouse” as a case Introduction This Review is aimed at analyzing the qualitative research methods used in “The supportive expatriate spouse” by Jakob Lauring and Jan Selmer (2010).The specific research elements will be discussed in perspectives of suitability, benefits, limitations and ethical issues in context of the authors’ research. Research Methods The research question of the above article is to investigate the positive influence of accompanying spouses on their business expatriates. Samplings elected are sixteen Danish female accompanying women in a same Danish subsidiary in Saudi Arabian. The underlying ontological and epistemological thinking is respectively relativism and social constructionism...
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...Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Name SOC120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility Instructor: November 20, 2012 The life of prisoners some may never know. There are those who care not to know what goes on behind that wired fence. We find that some people that are convicted of crimes that they did not commit. Some people would rather turn their heads to what actually happens in a prison institution, because they feel it is no concern of theirs. Innocent women and men face a disaster in life when they find their selves incarcerated in such facility as these. The treatment in prison facilities toward prisoners with health issues or those who develop health concerns that head officials should take control over. Prisoners receive neglect in many different ways that may end their lives. In my essay, I will share with you the life of a man in prison and the treatment that he received from correctional officers. Every prison environment makes it hard to assure minimal standards for ethical research and voluntary informed consent and privacy. Privacy for those who are in these facilities has many concerns to family members who are looking in from the outside. Health issues and concerns for inmates and neglect that occurs in correctional facilities have been concerns that continue to go unnoticed. The state seems to under staff in some areas of managing inmate’s health problems. There are many who may go unattended...
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...Why Corporations Should Set Strict Moral Standards More often than not, there are stories about the immorality of corporations and their decisions that impact not only their employees but the people in surrounding communities and the environment. Most corporations have more than one person in charge of making moral decisions. These selected few should set strict moral and ethical standards when conducting business for the benefit of the company, their employees and the rest of the world. In philosophy, there are several subsections that teach the various kinds of moral and ethics. Some of these subsections can be applied to the morality of a corporation while others, when applied, can cause controversy and harm. The following paper will discuss why corporations should be morally just and the benefits that can be derived from this. It will also discuss three different types of philosophical morals and ethics processes that may or may not compliment the benefits. A corporation with good morals have more important priorities that one that does not. One of the most important reasons why a corporation should be moral is because of the people, i.e. the people that work for the corporation, the people that want and use their services or products and the people that built the corporation. Employees might not always see the boss or the CEO every day at work but they should know and experience that their well-being is important to the CEO. Good morals for the employees mean that they...
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...Cultural Relativism and Problems Associated with This Approach Cultural anthropology is the study of cultural variation among people. An essential concept that professional anthropologists apply in their fieldworks is - cultural relativism - an approach to study of the nature and role of values in a culture without judgment and comparison to their own. According to the Study Guide, Smillie and Kenny state that major contribution to the study of the concept of cultural relativism can be attributed to Boas and his students, who challenged a wide-spread idea that societies are staged along a line from the most undeveloped to most “civilized.” Rather, they suggested that each individual culture should be understood in terms of its unique beliefs and ideals. That is, in order to observe and understand how people live and operate in a particular culture, it is important to consider the way other view the world within the framework of their culture. A great example of this idea is depicted by Laura Bohannan in her work “Shakespeare in the bush.” With an argument in mind, that human nature is more or less universal, she travels to Africa and discusses a famous Shakespeare’s tragic play with native people of a tribe Tiv, expecting only slight variations in its interpretation accounted for discrepancies in culture. To her surprise, Bohannan finds out that customs, beliefs, translations and culture have an enormous role in the perception and interpretation of Shakespeare’s play and that...
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...Ethical Relativism Vs. Utilitarianism Last time we saw Jim, he was returning from a day hike through the rainforest in South America. Unfortunately, he was captured by government troops along with rebel fighters who were being detained for execution. Fortunate enough for him, the government commander put Jim in a life changing situation, kill the rebel leader himself and he along with the remaining rebels get let go. If he failed to do so, the commander and his troops will execute all the rebels, sack their village for anything of value, and leave Jim stranded in the rainforest with no supplies, resulting in almost certain death. Through analyzing the theory of ethical relativism, we were able to decide that Jim should in fact kill the rebel leader, but what if we analyze another ethical theory? Will we come up with the same answer as we did before? Or is it possible that through the research of different theories and ideas we can come up with a completely different response to Jim’s unusual predicament? Using a new theory, utilitarianism, or, the idea that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority, we can further analyze why Jim should still kill the rebel leader and why it is a better answer than if we were to use relativism. This paper will describe the ethical theory of utilitarianism in great detail, it will than be applied to Jim’s situation just like before, challenge opposing viewpoints of utilitarianism, refresh ourselves on why we originally...
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...Figure 3-1, Archie Carroll proposes that the managers of business organizations have four responsibilities: economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary. 1. Economic responsibilities of a business organization’s management are to produce goods and services of value to society so that the firm may repay its creditors and shareholders. 2. Legal responsibilities are defined by governments in laws that management is expected to obey. (ie: U.S. business firms are required to hire and promote people based on their credentials rather than to discriminate on non-job-related characteristics such as race, gender, or religion). 3. Ethical responsibilities of an organization’s management are to follow the generally held beliefs about behavior in a society. (society generally expects firms to work with the employees and the community in planning for layoffs, even though no law may require this; because the affected people can get upset if an organization’s management fails to act according to generally prevailing ethical values). 4. Discretionary responsibilities are the purely voluntary obligations a corporation assumes. (such as philanthropic ontributions, training the hard-core unemployed, and providing day-care centers; the difference between ethical and discretionary responsibilities, is that few people expect an organization to fulfill discretionary responsibilities...
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...Ethics & Social Responsibility Ashley Arends September 10, 2012 Stalemate Scientific research has come a long way since the first use of human embryos to treat and prevent diseases. The polio vaccine was invented in the 1950’s from the use of human fetal kidney cells, fetuses in uteri were used to develop techniques like amniocenteses and improving knowledge about congenital heart disease in the 1970’s, and in the 1980’s the transplantation of fetal tissue into adults to help with serious conditions like, diabetes or Parkinson’s (Gold, 2004). While there has always been concern and controversy over the use of human embryonic cells, today the debate is ethical. This ethical debate lies within the destruction of human embryos in order to use them for medical research. This paper will talk about how two different theories; utilitarianism and relativism view this ethical issue and the problem it presents, as well as my personal views on use of embryonic stem cell research. The theory of utilitarianism determines what is best by looking at the results of an act. According to Mosser (2010, section 1.7), “utilitarianism argues that, given a set of choices, the act we should choose is that which produces the best results for the greatest number affected by that choice.” When looking at the use of embryonic stem cells for research, utilitarianism looks at the end result. Embryonic stem cells have the potential to save lives by curing diseases and through...
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...Whistleblowing and Ethical Motivations Marie Whitehead Soc. 120 Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility Prof: Christopher Messer March 31, 2014 The term whistleblower was first used in England and referred to the practice of British police officers blowing a whistle when a crime was being committed. This would then raise the alarm to other law enforcement officers to alert them that something was endangering the public (Princeton, n.d.). Today, however, the term shares a much broader meaning and is met with a variety of ethical motivations. When we hear the term, “whistleblower”, we know that someone has raised a concern regarding a possible wrongdoing in either a government agency or a private company, and they want to make others aware. The status of the whistleblower is often debated: as Rothschild and Miethe (1999) note, “some see whistleblowers as traitorous violators of organizational loyalty norms; other see whistleblowers as heroic defenders of values considered more important than company loyalty”. In addition, whistleblowing is a “new form of worker resistance” relevant to the “unending battle between labor and management to control the workplace” (Rothschild, et.al, 1999). But with the right motives in place, whistleblowing is good for an organization or agency because it protects that organization and agency from fraud, misconduct, and in most cases, failure. And, when affective communication is in place, the organization’s goals are kept in...
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...experience it subtly and overtly in all cultures and across nations in incidents ranging from ethnic slurs to hate crimes to violence carried out in the name of ideology. Such incidents of violence tend to be easily seen as they fall within the public domain. Less visible, however, but often more devastating, is the domestic violence that occurs within the family and often against women. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) (2001) notes in a summary of research done on four continents that as many as 20 to 50 percent of all women in the studies reported experiencing partner violence. But what are the links among domestic violence, health care profession, nurses, and ethics? In moral philosophy, there is a long tradition of debate on whether true moral dilemmas can exist, some arguing that it will always be possible to decide which obligation should prevail. On this concept regardless of the abstract possibility of an ideal resolution and the pragmatic reality that decisions are made and people have to live with them. An ethical dilemma presents a choice that must be made between two mutually exclusive courses of action, each of which is perceived to rest on a moral obligation that carries significant weight for the actor confronting the dilemma. According to Draucker (2002} addresses intimate partner abuse as repeatable and increasing patterns of violence against women by men in their attempts to gain power. She notes that because this abuse occurs in a continuing relationship...
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...Business Research Ethics Felipe Perez RES/351 December 16, 2013 Dr. Sean Kenney Business Research Ethics Enron named Most Innovated in America and listed on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies fell from grace. Its success led it to shift its “vision form being the World’s Leading Energy Company to becoming the World’s Leading Company” (Verschoor). Businesses have a social responsibility both legally and ethically. There is nothing illegal about making money, but the manner in which you do so is. Ethics are norms or standards of behavior that guide moral choices about our behavior and our relationships with others. The goal of ethics in research is to ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse consequences from research activities (Cooper, Schindler). Enron’s ethical behavior started with its accounting department and the desire for greed. Without a governing body to ensure ethical responsibilities Enron continued to borrow money from itself eventually went bankrupt. In the wake of its missteps were retirements, stock, and countless employees. Enron’s lack of social responsibility, ethical failures, and poor management environment continued a cycle of irresponsibility. The ethical guidelines established by Enron were window dressing, to say the least. The mentality was utilitarian and the unethical cultural dominated poor decisions. “On the surface Enron kept projecting its image of being stalwart and responsible corporate citizen” (Verschoor). Enron’s management decided...
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...Reflective Paper Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Johni K. Anglin SOC 120 Cornell Horn January 28, 2013 Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Societies Forgotten One may ask."What represents ethical treatment of prisoners?" What's more, does it make a difference as to what the prisoners crime is as to what kind of treatment would be considered ethical? For example, should a terrorist be treated differently than a thief? Additionally, who is to decide what kind of treatment of prisoners, regardless of crime, is ethical and what is not? What standard determines ethical versus unethical? Who really concerns themselves which such questions? Is ethical treatment of prisoners related to profitability in our country?"It is argued that Plato was right in claiming that justice is more profitable, more rational, and more intrinsically valuable than injustice (Velasquez 1996). Certainly mistreatment of the least among us is injustice. If so then the question may then become, "What is justice?" To be sure, it seems that there may well be more questions regarding the ethics surrounding treatment of prisoners than solid answers. For these reasons, it is necessary that the ethical treatment of prisoners be examined. I submit that we, as a society, are only as good as the treatment that we mete out to the lowest of our population. Do certain sectors of society like having a "prison-class" of criminals so that perhaps their transgressions against society may go unnoticed In order to successfully...
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... USA Abstract Purpose – This paper seeks to examine the ethical dilemmas that emerge when offering microfinance services in BOP markets. Design/methodology/approach – Utilizing the ethical lenses of deontology, teleology, virtue ethics and moral relativism, the paper builds on prior research on ethical issues in BOP markets and the ethics of microfinance to highlight the specific stakeholder impacts facing MFIs. Relevant literature and examples from practice are utilized to illustrate the different ethical perspectives. Findings – In general, many of the key dilemmas represent themselves in the extreme poverty segment of the BOP where commercial business models have the least traction. Research limitations/implications – Propositions are developed for the corrective actions in the paper which might allow future research to uncover differences in intervention success in different BOP markets. Practical implications – The discussion of potential interventions for the various stakeholders may ameliorate criticisms of MFIs, suggest opportunities for cross-sectoral partnerships and improve outreach to the poorest of the poor. Social implications – For each issue addressed, this paper looks at the types of corrections that are made or called for through markets, government actions and civil society to respond to the negative impacts uncovered through our analysis. Originality/value – The analysis in this paper contributes to the theoretical ethical literature with a very specific...
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...on Morality and Ethics in Corporate World - Research Pa... http://www.studymode.com/essays/Business-Essay-On-Morality-And-Eth... Business Essay on Morality and Ethics in Corporate World SIGN IN SIGN UP SEARCH DOCUMENT S BOOK NOTES AP NOT ES Business Essay on Morality and Ethics in Corporate World By Divyashrii | August 2013 Page 1 of 1 The term "business ethics" is used in a lot of different ways. Business ethics is a form of applied ethics (Broni, 2010) that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment (Solomon, 1991). It applies to all aspects of business conduct (Baumhart, 1968; Ferell - Fraedrich, 1997; Singer, 1991) and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and business organizations as a whole (Bernard, 1972; Donaldson, 1982:36). Applied ethics is a field of ethics that deals with ethical questions in many fields such as technical, legal, business and medical ethics (Preston, 1997:6-11). Business ethics consists of a set of moral principles and values (Jones Parker - Bos, 2005:17) that govern the behavior of the organization with respect to what is right and what is wrong (Badiou, 2001; Seglin, 2003). It spells out the basic philosophy and priorities of an organization in concrete terms (French, 1979; French, 1995). It also contains the prohibitory actions at the workplace 1 of 5 8/7/2014 8:16 PM Business Essay on Morality and Ethics in Corporate World - Research Pa... http://www.studymode.com/essays/Business-Essay-On-Morality-And-Eth...
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