COMM 381 - Business Ethics

Examines major moral issues in contemporary business through the study and application of foundational concepts from philosophical ethics. Emphasizes directed discussion of case studies and readings from business and philosophical literature. The course explores current topics in business ethics such as the moral responsibilities of corporate employees and managers, the normative dimensions of corporations, the cross-cultural duties of multi-national corporations engaged in international business, the relationship between business and the environment, marketing, whistle-blowing, and discrimination. Students employ case-based methodology as well as explore these issues through philosophical texts. A significant part of the course is devoted to developing the necessary concepts for understanding how philosophers argue questions of rights, utility, and distributive justice. More traditional philosophical questions such as the nature and limits of markets, competing ethical theories, and different justifications for private property are approached through the work of Rawls, Nozick, Kant, Aristotle, and others. The course is designed to introduce students to moral reasoning as philosophers have conceived it in theories such as Virtue ethics, Consequentialism, and Deontology, and how to apply these theories to issues in business. The course teaches how to think systematically about moral principles and apply the principles to “real-life” business situations. (IR)

Prerequisites & Notes
21108
1030 to 1245. June 14 to July 12 MTWRF; Thomas Package

Credits: 3