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The West owes its high standard of
living predominantly to commerce, business, and entrepreneurship.
Despite this, people continue to repeat the cliché that business ethics
is an oxymoron. 40% of crimes in TV and film are committed by fictional
businesspeople. People tend to assume business majors are driven by
greed (whereas they assume pre-med students are driven by compassion
and love). Why does business get such a bad rap? How much does it
deserve it? What does that have to do with you?
This course explores the ethical dimensions of business. The first half
of the course examines the connection between business and the morally
worthwhile life, with an eye on the ideal of being a whole person. We
cover virtues such as honesty, integrity, creativity, productivity,
responsibility, and loyalty. We will first analyze these virtues, to
determine what they are and what role they play in the good life. Then
we will consider how they fit into business practice. The second half
of the course concerns role of business in a just society. We will
examine some important critiques as well as defenses of private
enterprise. We’ll look at some of the problems that arise in market
exchanges.
Lastly, I hope that some of what you learn from this course will help
make you a more thoughtful and reflective person. (That's a lot to ask
from a class.) We are looking at real-world problems. Whether you
become a businessperson or not, you will be confronted with some of
these issues in your life. I hope this class aids you when the time
comes.
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