PHIL 2060 – Business Ethics
Paper #2
Due Date: April 19th
Format: in-text citations (author p#) double spaced 1″ margins 12 pt. Times New Roman 5 pages
Paper #2 Making a Moral Argument
Thiroux’s Five Humanitarian Principles:
Principle of Goodness
Value of Life Principle
Principle of Justice
Principle of Honesty
Principle of Autonomy
Moral Theories:
Rand – Egoism
Ross – Intuitionism
Natural Law Theory
Aristotelian Virtue
Kantian Duty Ethics
Divine Command Theory
Platonic Virtue
Mill – Utiliarianism
Rawls – Justice as Fairness,
Locke – Natural Rights
Gilligan – Care Ethics
Nozick – Entitlement Theory
A successful essay will contain the following elements:
a) clear thesis statement articulating your view in intro paragraph
b) presentation of premises which support your point of view
c) presentation of the opposing argument
d) response to opposition argument (which shows that your view is superior)
e) application and discussion of theory from at least THREE philosophers covered in course
f) use of credible external sources and inclusion of Works Cited page
g) accurate application of moral theory, principles, and concepts from the course
h) discuss details: specific people, places, events, companies, decisions, etc.
Topic Option #1 – For-Profit Prisons and the Justice System
The purpose of this assignment is for you to investigate the for-profit prison industry and have a discussion about whether or not the activities of such corporations and our justice system can be considered moral.
Argue in opposition to these policies and practices, using course concepts. Use moral theories and principles to support your view.
Issues for investigation:
The School to Prison Pipeline
Corrections Corporation of America
Corrupt Judges
Global Tel-Link
Statistical Racial Disparities The Bail Industry
Lobbying of Government Agencies Incarceration Rates, US v the world
War on Drugs Impact of Pro-Industry legislation
Facility Reports and statistics Charges for Inmate Phone Calls
• Why does the USA have such high incarceration rates? How/why is incarceration profitable?
• What do you see as the major moral failures of this system? How might one argue that this represents a failure of justice? What can be done to correct the issues?
• Use ethical language to explain the failure.
Topic Option #2 – Corporate Responsibility and Animal Rights
The purpose of this assignment is for you to consider the moral status of animals in relation to the use of animals in the business world. Many animals of all kinds are negatively impacted by human activity- we cage them, eat them, and experiment on them. But is any of this moral?
(1)Research a moral concern regarding animals in the business world,and argue that a specific product, practice or corporation is immoral.
(2) Use moral theories and principles to explain the nature of animal rights and support your thesis. What are animals entitled to (or not) and why? Draw on the ideas of animal rights theorists like Singer,Francione, Regan,etc.
(3) Do not be overly general. Do research focused on a specific corporation and one specific concern regarding animal rights.
1. Do human beings have duties toward animals? What about corporations? How and when do we fail to uphold those duties? Why?
2. How can we defend the position that animals do have rights? What exactly could wild or domestic animals be “entitled to”? What could their rights include or not include?
3. Is it fair to imagine that humans are superior to animals, therefore “anything goes?”
4. To what extent does animal consciousness or suffering matter?
5. Which specific corporations are immoral in their use of animals? How and Why?
Issues for investigation:
Cosmetic/pharmaceutical animal testing
Perdue, Cargill, JBS, Smithfield
arguments for animal rights
Factory Farming practices/abuses
speciesism, non-anthropocentric ethics
Sentience and animal consciousness
environmental concerns, deep ecology
extinction of species, habitat destruction
the “rights of nature”
Clinique, Estee Lauder, Mary Kay
• What do you see as the major failures of this system? How might one argue that this represents a failure of justice? What can be done to correct the issues?
• Use ethical language to explain the failure.
Questions to consider:
• Why does this issue represent an example of injustice?
• What is the nature/origin of the problem?
• Why are there competing attitudes on the issue? What values are at stake?
• What does a moderate view of the issue look like, taking into account competing values?
• What are some possible solutions? How can they be achieved?
• Which individuals or groups are most affected by the issue? Who is not?
• Which theorists ideas are most relevant to this issue?
• Do some research and draw on at least two high-quality sources. Do not rely on questionable web resources! Take advantage of the CCC library and databases!
• How can different ethical theories be used to either justify OR condemn the company’s actions?
• Think about what your final conclusion will be – what claim do you want to make? Mention this in your introductory paragraph.
• Use evidence (premises) which demonstrate that your point of view is right. Draw on what you have learned about moral principles and theories.
• Consider what your opponent will say, and respond to likely criticism. Your goal is to be convincing and thorough.