...Utilitarianism Over time philosophers have given different ideas about their idea of the good life and how should we attain it, what happiness really constitutes of and how could we be happy in a world full of temptations or aspects that only disregard us from being happy. Kantianism and Utilitarianism are two significant theories that try to answer such questions. They both give their own interpretations about the means of why we’re here. Although these two are entirely different from each other, to a certain extent they do have some similarities. Kantianism negates the significance of any personal relationships. The Kantian treats others like he would expect them to treat him. The one universal way to act should carry from one to another regardless of your personal relationship to that person. Similarly, Utilitarianism is a relatively straight-forward analysis where the calculation is indefferent to persons and relationships. Using this system to examine what action is appropriate , everyone is on equal footing. But from this point, they both start to differ apart. Utilitarianism, supported by Bentham and Mill, is based on examining the consequences of any act with the merits of an act being determined by the maxim - the greatest good for the greatness number. Thus, determining whether or not one should tell a lie depends on the consequences. Suppose I’m a doctor who have just examined a patient who did not know yet that he has an incurable terminal illness. If I follow utilitarianism...
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...considered legal, is it ethical? In this paper we study different theories in ethics, including Kantian and Utilitarian ethical models. These models provide clear analyses that guide us in deciding if pain medication distribution from pain clinics is ethical. Finally, we review and conclude if the George brother’s pain medication clinics were acting socially responsible within their communities. Given the rise of pain medication abuse and illegal reselling, pain clinics in South Florida should adhere to strict rules to provide services to those that need it and not turn their businesses into pill mills. Introduction Purposes of Paper The intent of this paper is to provide a detailed and analytical examination of the George brother’s pain medication clinics. Throughout this paper all approaches will be examined such as the legality and ethics of the case, and how social responsibility plays a role. In the past few years in South Florida, there has been a rise of pain medication addiction and the reselling of these narcotics. Pain medication clinics have done more harm than good to our communities especially ones like the George brother’s. This case also poses ethical and moral questions like when it is actually legal or illegal to distribute pain medications to consumers. To fully understand our ethical decision making, we will explore Utilitarian and Kantian ethics. Finally, social responsibility will be examined...
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...Runaway Ethics: Determining Preferred Courses of Action Through Ethical Analysis of the 2009 Toyota Motor Company Automobile Recall In September 2009, Japanese automotive manufacturer Toyota issued a recall of 3.8 million vehicles due to “unintended acceleration” that was believed to be caused by loose floor mats becoming lodged under the gas pedal due to a design flaw in the pedal layout. Since the initial recall, which affected seven models ranging from 2004 to 2010, more details have emerged. Instances of surges in acceleration in Toyota vehicles have been investigated by the NHTSA on six separate occasions since 2003 and over two thousand owners have claimed to experience the phenomenon. Consumer Reports examined cases of unintended acceleration surges in the United States for 2008 and forty-one percent of all instances involved Toyota vehicles. Most tragically, sixteen people have been killed in accidents resulting from unintended acceleration in Toyotas and over two hundred-forty have been injured. As a short-term fix, Toyota brand dealers began removing floor mats or fastening them to the floor pan in order to prevent lodging under the accelerator. More recently, dealerships have begun reshaping or shortening accelerator pedals until replacements become available for installation. However, some consumer groups have criticized Toyota’s sluggish and secretive response, and a national class-action lawsuit has been filed against Toyota alleging that the floor mats...
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...mTELECOURSE STUDY GUIDE FOR The Examined Life FOURTH EDITION author J. P. White Chair, Department of Philosophy Santa Barbara City College contributing author Manuel Velasquez Professor of Philosophy Santa Clara University This Telecourse Study Guide for The Examined Life is part of a collegelevel introduction to philosophy telecourse developed in conjunction with the video series The Examined Life, and the text Philosophy: A Text with Readings, tenth edition, by Manuel Velasquez, The Charles Dirksen Professor, Santa Clara University. The television series The Examined Life was designed and produced by INTELECOM Intelligent Telecommunications, Netherlands Educational Broadcasting Corporation (TELEAC/NOT), and Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company (UR) Copyright © 2007, 2005, 2002, 1999 by INTELECOM Intelligent Telecommunications All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of INTELECOM Intelligent Telecommunications, 150 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 300, Pasadena, California 91105-1937. ISBN: 0-495-10302-0 Contents Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Lesson One — What is Philosophy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....
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...SIX BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY Adrienne Byrd AIU Introduction to Philosophy: PHIL201 - 1404A – 12 Jerry Nwonye February 21, 2015 Abstract The term Logic begins from two Greek words Philos and Sophia which means Adoration for Knowledge or Quest for Learning. Theory is deciphered in a wide range of routes by various savants. Plato is a widely acclaimed scholar known for his numerous philosophical studies says that, "reasoning is the securing of learning." While an alternate celebrated logician by the name of Karl Marx's states that, "logic is an understanding of the world to change." In fundamental terms rationality is the investigation of information and it is separated into six limbs known as transcendentalism, epistemology, Ethics, Aesthetics, political theory, and social theory. These extensions solicit the confusing inquiries from the world. Today we will talk about these distinctive limbs and what they intend to the world. SIX BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY Metaphysics is the investigation of what's genuine and it doubts our presence and reason in life. It is thought to be the establishment of logic and without it we would be left with no clarification in respect to how we ought to manage reality. Metaphysics ask the "What is" inquiries of the world. Case in point: "Do you have a spirit?" or "Do you trust in God?" It is my conviction that we live in both a physical and otherworldly world and I say...
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...Introduction In this paper I am going to discuss the philosopher Aristotle. I will also talk about Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics philosophy, why it is important, and how it potentially connects to accounting and business. Aristotle was born in Stagiros, Macedon, in 384 B.C. He was educated by a guardian after his father had died. At the age of seventeen his guardian sent him to the centre of intellectual and artistic life in Athens. While he was there “he entered Plato’s Academy where he stayed for about twenty years as a student and then later as a teacher” (no author, n.d, page 1, paragraph 1). After teaching for a number of years, Aristotle sailed for Assos in Asia Minor; he lived there for three years while he gained interest in biology, anatomy, and began work on his book the Politics. Aristotle was a tireless scholar, whose scientific explorations were as wide ranging as his philosophical speculations were profound; a teacher who inspired and who continues to inspire generations of students; a controversial public figure who lived a turbulent life in a turbulent world. He bestrode antiquity like an intellectual colossus. No man before him had contributed so much to learning. Aristotle offers a business ethic intent on advancing the attainment of personal happiness. He defines happiness in the universalistic terms, and insists upon the priority of exercising the virtues, of habitually acting in ways that fulfill the highest human potentialities. Therefore, according...
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...An Ethical Theory Applied to Business Organizations The object of this essay is to establish whether there is an ethical theory that can be successfully applied to business organizations. In order to answer this question, it is necessary first to define the major ethical theories, which are utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics, before determining whether there are any other options. After that, the ethical needs, problems and limitations of work organizations will have to be examined so that the different theories can be evaluated in this context. It will also be important to draw a distinction between the terms “accurate” and “useful” as these actually result in two different questions the answer to which need not necessarily be the same. Another essential part of this discussion is the more general question why there should be ethics in work organizations in the first place, and to what extent ethical behavior is feasible in the business world. Hopefully this will provide a framework within which the answer to the essay question can be included. To begin with, the “traditional” approaches to solving moral problems will be defined, namely those of act-utilitarianism and deontology. These are traditional not because they have existed longer than virtue ethics, but because for a long time they have been the approaches most commonly used as a basis for trying to solve ethical problems. After looking at these two moral theories, the approach of virtue ethics regarding...
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...QUEEN OF APOSTLES PHILOSOPHY CENTRE JINJA (PCJ) CRITIQUE OF THE NOTION OF AUTONOMY IN KANT’S MORAL PHILOSOPHY AN UNDER GRADUATE DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE INSTITUTE OF ETHICS AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES OF UGANDA MARTYRS UNIVERSITY (UMU) NKOZI, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS IN PHILOSOPHY BISIMWA MUNYALI EVARISTE MARCH 2011 1 DEDICACE This work is dedicated in a special way to: My ever loving and caring God, My family and the community of the Missionaries of Africa. 2 DECLARATION I………………………………………………………..have read the rules of Uganda Martyrs University on plagiarism and hereby state that this work is my own. It has not been submitted anywhere else for any qualification. I have acknowledged the secondary sources used in this work. NAME OF STUDENT…………………………………………………………. SIGNATURE…………………………………………………………………… DATE: …………………………………………………………………………… SUPERVISOR………………………………………………………………….. SIGNATURE…………………………………………………………………… DATE: ………………………………………………………………………….. 3 ABSTRACT The importance of a philosophical study dealing with moral issues, especially the principle of autonomy is indisputably great. It is a common agreement that morality is located within the scope of duty. Kant corroborates this held agreement by stating the categorical imperative which every human is obliged to act upon. He conceived this categorical imperative as the moral law which all those who claim to be moral beings have to live on. However, he also affirmed...
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...Effective Communication Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………..4 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………5 Chapter One: History of Ethical Theory Development Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….…6 Definition of Ethics Business Ethics and Individual Ethics: Is There a Difference?…………………….…..7 Virtue Ethics…………………………………………………………………………............9 Practical Wisdom……………………………………………………………….14 Eudaimonia……………………………………………………………………...15 Kantian Ethics……………………………………………………………………16 Ethical Egoism…………………………………………………………………………….....18 Consequentialist Ethics.……………………………………………………………………..21 Chapter Two: Corporate Social Responsibility Introduction 27 Corporate Social Responsibility 27 Summary 34 Chapter Three: The National Football League’s Blackout Policy is Unethical Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….…35 The History of the NFL Blackout Policy: The Legal Test…………………………………..37 The Economic Test: Do Blackouts Have a Positive Economic Benefit?...............................39 The Philanthropic Test……………………………………………………………………….43 The Ethics Test………………………………………………………………………………47 Summary……………………………………………………………………………………..51 Chapter Four: Effective Communication Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….....50 Effective Communication Defined………………………………………………………..…50 This Student’s Display of Effective Communication…………………………………….....51 Written Communication………………………………………………………………...
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...strategically. The U.S. policy of drone warfare is directly correlated with the war on terrorism. The aftermath of 9/11 convinced the U.S. military and intelligence community to target Taliban and al-Qaeda militants by utilizing drone technology. The Authorization for Use of Military Force permits the use of all necessary and appropriate force against terrorism. The U.S government to justify drone strikes without restrictions has used this settlement as a defense mechanism. Drone technology promotes secrecy, governmental power, and a foreign policy that operates without limitations. The issue of drone technology is analyzed using the ethical theories of utilitarianism and deontology. Drone strikes are an immoral act according to the utilitarianism ethical theory because they don’t produce the greatest good for the most people. The Deontological ethical theory views drone strikes for executions as unacceptable. It is not morally acceptable to practice drone warfare for various reasons. Drone warfare cannot be justified using a deontological and utilitarian approach. The use of drone technology has become a widely debated issue especially concerning countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Yemen. Drones are routinely used in these countries to kill suspected militants. The legal and policy implications are often questioned and numerous legal experts have condemned the rise of this practice. The use of drone technology is extremely controversial when civilian casualties are considered...
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...medications. Leo frequently must decide between medications and food, often opting for cheap junk food that is neither nutritious for his young family nor appropriate for a diabetic diet. Leo has recently applied for and been offered several other jobs, but at a lower salary and with no health insurance coverage. Recently, Leo’s diabetes has worsened. He has developed a serious infection that has led to lost wages and, far worse, the loss of his right leg below the knee. Leo is weighing his options. He has heard about a new clinical research trial open to insulin-dependent diabetics that pays $100 a week to research subjects. He has also been quite depressed and begun to wonder if his children might not be better off without him. He has several life insurance policies that would pay off generously if something were to happen to him, and he has broached the subject of assisted suicide with his long-time physician. Is there a way, he asks his physician, to have his death look like it was from natural causes so his children could collect on the policy? CHAPTER QUESTIONS 1. What ethical responsibilities do health care professionals have to their patients? 2. What ethical rights do patients have?...
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...Source: CHRYSSIDES, GEORGE D. and KALER, JOHN H. (1993). An Introduction to Business Ethics. London: Chapman and Hall. Pages 79−106, 143‒146. [The text is derived from a publisher’s proof, and may differ slightly from the finished book. If quoting, it is best to cite the relevant WOLF page.] CHAPTER THREE ETHICAL THEORY In the previous chapter we looked at the role of values in business and considered how business ethics was becoming part of the professionalization of business. But what exactly are ethical judgments, and how do we justify them? At first appearance this may seem a needless difficulty. After all, is it not obvious what is happening when we make ethical decisions? Do we not do so almost every day of our lives in fact? It is one thing to engage in an activity, but often quite another to state what exactly is going on when we do it. For example, someone may have a tremendous gift for selling goods to people, but may not necessarily be aware, until he or she is taught, exactly what is going on when a successful marketing strategy is put into operation. One can instinctively put into operation the classical ‘three Ps’ of marketing (attention to Product, Price and Packaging), but yet be unaware, until this is pointed out, that these are the key features of selling. In a similar way, we can make moral judgments, but yet find some difficulty in explaining exactly what is taken place when we do so. In the case of ethical judgments, the situation is...
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...Stages of Moral Development According to Kohlberg Stages of Moral Development by Lawrence Kohlberg (1971) I. Pre-conventional Level At this level, the child is responsive to cultural rules and labels of good and bad, right or wrong, but he interprets the labels in terms of either the physical or hedonistic consequences of action (punishment, reward, exchange of favors) or the physical power of those who enunciate the rules and labels. The level is divided into the following three stages: Stage 0: Egocentric judgement. The child makes judgements of good on the basis of what he likes and wants or what helps him, and bad on the basis of what he does not like or what hurts him. He has no concept of rules or of obligations to obey or conform independent of his wish. Stage 1: The punishment and obedience orientation. The physical consequences of action determine its goodness or badness regardless of the human meaning or value of these consequences. Avoidance of punishment and unquestioning deference to power are values in their own right, not in terms of respect for an underlying moral order supported by punishment and authority (the latter is stage 4). Stage 2: The instrumental relativist orientation. Right action consists of what instrumentally satisfies one's own needs and occasionally the needs of others. Human relations are viewed in terms such as those of the market place. Elements of fairness, reciprocity, and equal sharing are present, but they are always...
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...Introductory Article A Good Living Versus A Good Life: Meaning, Purpose, and HRD Neal Chalofsky1 and Liz Cavallaro1 Advances in Developing Human Resources 15(4) 331–340 © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1523422313498560 adhr.sagepub.com Abstract The Problem. The expectation for meaningful work and work–life integration is firmly entrenched in the minds of the GenerationY/Millennial generations in the workplace. Yet, in updating the literature and rethinking the impact on Chalofsky’s (2003) construct for meaningful work, the question arose as to whether meaningful work can and should exist in a vacuum or should it be viewed as part of a meaningful life. If so, what are the implications for the construct and for human resource development (HRD). How far can and should HRD go to help ensure a meaningful and purposeful life for present and future generations in the workplace? The Solution. This article provides a sketch of the current research and thinking about meaningful work and a basis for the rest of the articles in this issue. The tightness of the “fit” between self and work can determine how meaningful one’s work is perceived. How work fits within a meaningful life, and how one’s life fits within the context of the organization, the community, the society, and the planet can shape a meaningful existence. The Stakeholders. The intended audience for this article includes HRD scholars, scholar-practitioners...
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...judgments about what is right or wrong, good or bad. Right and wrong are qualities or moral judgments we assign to actions and conduct. Within the study of ethics, there are three branches: metaethics , concerned with methods, language, logical structure, and the reasoning used in the interpretation of ethical terms, for example, what exactly the term “good” means; normative ethics , concerned with ways of behaving and standards of conduct; and applied ethics , concerned with solving practical moral problems as they arise, particularly in the professions, such as medicine and law. Ethics provides us with a way to make moral choices when we are uncertain about what to do in a situation involving moral issues. In the process of everyday life, moral rules are desirable, not because they express absolute truth but because they are generally reliable guides for normal circumstances. Normative Ethics Normative ethics is fundamental to ethical decision making in the criminal justice system. A central notion in normative ethics is that one’s conduct must take into account moral issues; that is, one should act morally, using reason to decide the proper way of conducting oneself. Essentially, ethics, in prescribing certain standards of conduct, gives us a way of making choices in situations where we are unsure how to act. What are these standards of conduct and how do we decide what is right and wrong? Some argue that because standards of conduct and ways of doing things differ from...
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