13/08/2017

Business Ethics
PHI2043S 2017
WEEK 1

George Hull

Information about the course

For administrative queries consult the course
outline
For further administrative queries, contact Lara
Davison (lara.davison@uct.ac.za)
Please purchase a textbook
Pick up purchased textbook, course outline and
Red Book from Philosophy Reception, Neville
Alexander Building level 3
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Assessment
Three types of assessment question

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Short content questions

E.g.:
What is culpable ignorance?
What three reasons do Bird and Waters give to
explain moral muteness in business?
Someone might blow the whistle on a company in
an attempt to punish those who have done
wrong. Give three standard motivations for
punishing a person.
4

Medium critical analysis questions

E.g.:
What is the difference between formal and
substantial equality of opportunity? Why do many
theorists believe that in a just society citizens
would be given not only formal equality of
opportunity but also substantial equality of
opportunity?

Long essay questions

E.g.:
Everything we do in life which has any value is
ultimately done for the sake of achieving
happiness. So happiness is the only thing which
can truly be said to be intrinsically valuable. Do
you agree or disagree with this statement?
Explain why.

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Assessment
Three types of assessment question
Tutorial quizzes: MCQs or written-answer quizzes
Quiz marks make up 15 per cent of overall grade
Best 5 of 6 marks count towards quiz average, or
best 4 if you complete course evaluation in time
Essay (10 per cent) due Tuesday 19 September
Test (15 per cent) Thursday 12 October
Exam mark makes up 60 per cent of final grade 7

Further information
In Week 4 you hand in an essay plan to be
marked rather than writing a tutorial quiz
Doing the readings is key
Please refrain from plagiarism

Structure of the course

Ethical challenges businesses face

Moral responsibilities of businesses
The ethics of economic systems
Tools for thinking critically about ethics

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Why do I have to take this course?

PHI2043S
Become a CA(SA)

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Types of value
Financial
Moral
Aesthetic
Prudential

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Forms of value
INSTRUMENTAL VALUE

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Why do I have to take this course?

PHI2043S
Become a CA(SA)
Improved awareness of ethical
issues in business
Improved ability to think through
difficult ethical issues
More ethical person?
YES and NO
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Why do I have to take this course?

PHI2043S
Become a CA(SA)
Improved awareness of ethical
issues in business
Improved ability to think through
difficult ethical issues
More ethical person?
Improved writing/persuasion
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Forms of value
INSTRUMENTAL VALUE

of purely instrumental value?

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Forms of value

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Forms of value

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Forms of value

A is a means to B is a means to C is a means to D

is a means to E is a means to F is a means to G is
a means to

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Forms of value

??? justifies doing G justifies doing F justifies

doing E justifies doing D justifies doing C justifies
doing B justifies doing A

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Forms of value
INSTRUMENTAL VALUE
INTRINSIC VALUE

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Why do I have to take this course?

PHI2043S
Think through and debate difficult and
controversial moral issues

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How to get the most out of the course

Work on understanding the philosophical
approach, probably unfamiliar to begin with
Use all the resources
Dont be passive: listen actively, engage in
discussion, take notes, come up with objections,
develop a position
Focus on the positive features of a different
approach
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What does ETHICS mean?

1. Right and wrong behaviour (the ethical and the
unethical) = morality

2. The study of ethics/morality

3. Code of conduct for a group

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Why is ethics important in business?

Why is ethics important for individuals going into
the business world?

Why is having ethical employees important to

businesses?

Why is it important to society that businesses

should behave ethically?
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Are there moral facts?

Murder is wrong
Businesses have an obligation to ensure their
employees safety
Capitalism is unjust

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Are there moral facts?

EMOTIVISM

These sentences only SEEM to be claims about

matters of fact

In reality they are EXPRESSIONS OF EMOTION

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Are there moral facts?

EMOTIVISM

Murder is wrong

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Are there moral facts?

EMOTIVISM

Generosity is good

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Are there moral facts?

EMOTIVISM

Is ethical disagreement impossible?

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Are there moral facts?

EMOTIVISM

Stealing is wrong.
Aiding someone in a morally wrong act is wrong.
So:
Helping someone steal is wrong.

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Are moral facts objective?

OBJECTIVE
= there is a fact of the matter independent
of what anyone thinks

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Cultural relativism

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Cultural relativism

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Cultural relativism

Ethics is relative to culture

(i) Descriptive relativism

(ii) Normative relativism

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Cultural relativism
Person 1: Murder is wrong

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Cultural relativism
Person 1: Murder is wrong(-for-people-in-my-
culture)

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Cultural relativism
Person 1: Murder is wrong(-for-people-in-my-
culture)

Person 2: Murder is morally acceptable

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Cultural relativism
Person 1: Murder is wrong(-for-people-in-my-
culture)

Person 2: Murder is morally acceptable(-for-

people-in-my-culture)

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Cultural relativism
Person 1: Murder is wrong

Person 2: Murder is morally acceptable

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Cultural relativism
Greeks and Callatians agree:
One should honour ones dead parents
Greeks and Callatians disagree:

by burning by eating
them them
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Ethics and religion

Ethical instruction in religions

(1) Text

(2) Authority

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Ethics and religion

Taken literally, some of the ethical advice in
religious texts is often very bad

Even if they are understood literally, the

instructions can come into conflict with one
another

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Ethics and religion

Gods authority

Socrates: Is behaviour right because the gods

command it, or do the gods command it because
its right?

Does God make the behaviour right, or is he just a

reliable guide to right behaviour?
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Ethics and religion

Surely we can often say why an act is wrong
(beyond the fact God forbids it)

Often its implausible that if God had said

something different a wrong act would be right

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Ethics and law

Some laws are immoral

The law permits some immoral acts

The law often stands in need of interpretation

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