Video Purpose
Introduce students to Ethics and Business Ethics as a course of study, covering key philosophical concepts.
Key Takeaways
- Course focuses on ethics philosophy, its application to business, and related laws/regulations
- Major assignments (6-8) involve analyzing corporate social responsibility and ethical case studies
- Ethics is explored through various schools of thought: virtue ethics, consequentialism, non-consequentialism
- Course aims to develop critical thinking and business communication skills through practical application
Course Structure and Assignments
- Syllabus and all materials available on Canvas
- Discussions serve as proxy for participation
- Assignments 6-7: Analysis of a company's corporate social responsibility program
- Assignment 8: Ethical case study analysis
- Two exams: First on ethics background, second on laws and regulations
Philosophical Framework
- Ethics as a subfield of philosophy, alongside metaphysics and aesthetics
- Distinction between ethics (good), metaphysics (true), and aesthetics (beautiful)
- Evolution of philosophical thought and its impact on ethics and science
Schools of Ethics
- Virtue Ethics (Aristotle): Cultivating good habits and finding the "golden mean"
- Consequentialism: Includes utilitarianism, hedonism, egoism
- Non-consequentialism: Focus on process and rules (e.g., Kant's categorical imperative)
- Social Justice (John Rawls): Fairness from an "original position"
Meta-ethics and Applied Ethics
- Meta-ethics: Theories about how ethics function and evolve over time
- Applied ethics: Practical application of ethical principles to real-world scenarios
- Transition from philosophical concepts to public policy and law