ethical approaches to corporate sustainability

Question 1

whats the first version of the trolley example

Answer 1

thomsen: A trolley is heading toward five workers on one track. There is another track with only one worker. Most people would turn the trolley to the track with one worker, sacrificing one life to save five

Question 2

whats the second version of the trolley example?

Answer 2

Michael sandel: Five workers are still in danger, but instead of turning a trolley, you must push a man off a bridge to stop the trolley and save the five workers. Most people would not push the man, even though it’s the same principle, sacrificing one life to save five.

Question 3

difference between morality and ethics

Answer 3

Morality is about norms and values that someone has in society

Ethics is about understanding why we have these norms and values

Question 4

four main normative ethical theories

Answer 4

1. utilitarianism
2. Kantian ethics
3. virtue ethics
4. post-human ethics

Question 5

limitations of utilitarianism

Answer 5

1. you can’t measure happiness
2. ignore special circumstances

Question 6

Mathias ethics, categorical law

Answer 6

universalize your maximum: can everyone do this, or would there be a problem then?
treat people as ends, not means: dont use people to achieve your goals (as a company attracting customers bc you’re greenwashing but in reality you are not).

Question 7

objections to duty-based ethics (Kantian ethics)

Answer 7

1. idealistic: it assumes people always think morally
2. demanding: require effort and sacrifice
3. freedom paradox: freedom and moral duty only align if we follow laws which can feel restrictive

Question 8

explain virtue ethics

Answer 8

you dont look at specific rules or outcomes of actions, you look at the person itself

Question 9

what are the two types of virtues

Answer 9

intellectual virtues: related to thinking and reasoning (being wise or practical in your decision)
moral virtues: personality traits we strive to have like courage, honesty, loyalty

Question 10

which of the four approaches is most holistic?

Answer 10

virtue ethics because it doesn’t just look at one specific decision or rule, it looks at the whole person.

Question 11

explain deep ecology

Answer 11

suggests that all species deserve equal respect and we must recognize that nature has its own intrinsic value beyond human use.

Question 12

objection of postman ethics

Answer 12

too demanding and too difficult to implement in practice

Question 13

descriptive ethical theories

Answer 13

doesn’t look at whats right or wrong but looks at the process of decision-making

Question 14

what affects ethical decisions

Answer 14

individual factors and situational factors

Question 15

explain cognitive moral development (individual factors)

Answer 15

how we judge what is right and wrong based on moral development:
1. pre-conventional level: decisions based on self-interest and external control
2. conventional level: focus on social norms and expectations
3. post-conventional level: guided by self-chosen ethical principles

Question 16

moral awareness

Answer 16

recognizing when an issue involves ethics

Question 17

ethical blindness

Answer 17

temporarily failing to see moral aspect of an issue

Question 18

whats the consequence of information overload

Answer 18

decision heuristics

Question 19

examples of heuristics

Answer 19

1. rely on one piece of info
2. blindly trust the expertise of authority figures

Question 20

explain the 3 situations factors (corporate, reward and incentive schemes and national culture)

Answer 20

1.A company’s shared norms and values influence behavior
2. * Advantage: Properly designed incentives can encourage ethical behavior and disadvantage reverse
3. * Cultural differences influence how ethical decisions are perceived and made