Business Ethics

Course Description

From oil spills, to cooked books, to Ponzi schemes, recent debacles have once again reminded us of the need for business ethics. The main objective of this course is to explore this need by assessing the wide variety of moral ideas on appropriate business conduct that have been voiced by philosophers, economists, and businesspersons. The course begins by outlining the broad intellectual framework necessary to approach the study of business ethics. Accordingly, we distinguish the nature and scope of business, explore widely accepted moral theories, and describe the political-economic systems under which business operates. The bulk of the course is then spent concentrating on specific areas where business and ethics intersect, such as the environment, animal rights, sales, advertising, leadership, loyalty, whistleblowing, employment equity, diversity, and globalization. Special emphasis is also paid to the issue of good character, as we explore the extent to which business must rely upon virtues like honesty and integrity.