lecture 1

Question 1

The morality of commercial life (ethical dimensions) macro and micro level

Answer 1

Macro level: Diversity in hiring, economic incentives

Macro: sustainability, markets, justice in finance

Question 2

modern business and ethics (wallstreet)

Answer 2

maximize benefits at all costs

Might makes right

ANYTHING FOR CA$H

Question 3

Modern business and ethics 3 components

Answer 3

1) reputation: social media are making people more aware of ethical standards

2) Talent: younger generations prefer to work in ethically conscious companies

3) competition: more companies are becoming ethically conscious

Question 4

modern business & ethics aims

Answer 4

there are aims of business practices other than sheer maximization of profits

Ethics can be one of those aims (and is arguably becoming a universal aim)

Question 5

companies incorporate ethics through -codes of conduct-

Define - -

Answer 5

A code in which organizations (like companies or professional associations) lay down guidelines for responsible behaviour of their members

“dont be evil” googlers generally apply those words to how we serve our users. But “dont be evil” is much more than that. Yes, it is about providing our users unbiased access to information, focusing on their needs and giving them the best products and services that we can. But it is also about doing the right thing more generally - following the law, acting honorably, and treating co-workers with courtesy and respect

Question 6

ethics by business people

Answer 6

Ethics is a tool to make decisions in moral dilemmas

Being ethical consists in applying ones personal philosophies to specific situation

Question 7

ethics by ethicists

Answer 7

not so much an application of personal philosophis, Not opinions

Opinions are matter of taste. Here we are trying to offer a reasoned argument which is not based on your taste, but on the application of theory

isnt ethics a matter of opinion if it depends on culture?

That in itself is an ethical position called moral relativism

Question 8

Moral relativism

Answer 8

you already hold one fact as true

You will eventually find some things that do not seem relative

The study of this questions is a subfield of ethics called meta-ethics. here we assume that moral relativism is not enough to solve moral dillemas