PHL 309U
BUSINESS ETHICS
SYLLABUS
I am one of those who are very willing to be refuted if I say anything which is not true, and very willing to refute anyone else who says what is not true, and quite as ready to be refuted as to refute--for I hold that this is the greater gain of the two…
Socrates in the Gorgias
Course Syllabus
| Course Title: | PHL 309U Business Ethics |
| Required Material: | 1) New York Times 2) http://psuethics.blogspot.com/ |
| Access the NYT: | With your ODIN log-in, go to the Library section of the PSU website: http://www.pdx.edu/library/ Click on “Databases and Articles,” then “General and Multidisciplinary,” and then scroll down to “New York Times” |
| Professor’s Name: | Dr. Peter Boghossian (please call me “Pete”) |
| E-mail Address: | pgb@pdx.edu |
| Availability: | By appointment It is my pleasure to meet with you, but because I am not a full time academic, I cannot schedule regular office hours. Please speak to me after class or email me if you’d like to set up a meeting. |
| Location: | EB ( |
| Days and Times: | MWF 9:00-10:05 |
| Vacation Days: | None |
Instructor Bio
I’ve been a college philosophy/ethics professor for over 15 years (
Course Description
In this course students will learn to think clearly and critically about ethics in business, society, and culture. By the end of the class, students will be able to: 1) apply ethical theories to real life events, 2) articulate, justify ethically and examine critically ethical propositions, 3) form cogent ethical arguments.
Topics and LEARNING Objectives
Critical Thinking About Ethics: Why This Matters
· Understand why this class matters
o Why/how can this be useful?
o What is and is not a waste of your time?
· Develop the rudiments of applied critical thinking
· Understand how to make an argument
o Understand why this matters
· “Sharpen the saw” (Steven Covey’s habit #7)
· Learn how to think clearly and critically
· Learn the role of reason and evidence in belief formation
· Examine the role of biology in the formation of ethical beliefs
· Develop critical thinking and moral reasoning skills for lifelong learning
· Examine the role ideology plays in concept formation
Individual/Personal Ethics
· Examine your values
· Identify the sources and development of your ethics
· Understand the intersection of values, beliefs and behavior
· Articulate and provide evidence for your ethical beliefs
Applied Theory
· Understand the major ethical theories/ideas/thinkers
o Utilitarianism, Deontology, Egoism, Virtue Ethics, “The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits,” “Tragedy of the Commons,” Rawls, etc.
· Understand basic counter-arguments to the major ethical theories
· Develop and apply a system of inquiry to evaluate ethical behavior
· Explain the relationship of ethical theory to business practice
Current Events
· Apply ethical theory to contemporary events
· Articulate yourself, clearly and concisely
o Use current events in your premises
o Job interview practice: using what you’ve learned (time permitting)
· Understand the importance of the practical application of theoretical concepts
Presentations
· Develop impromptu presentation skills
· Apply theory to contemporary events and present your arguments
· Field critical questions and defend your ethical beliefs
· Examine, with a team, actual ethical issues in business
o Present your findings to the class
Point Values for the Course Assignments
| ASSIGNMENTS | Due Date | Points |
| Class Participation | All | 20 |
| Paper 1 | 1/30 | 20 |
| Paper 2 | 3/10 | 20 |
| Thesis Statements (2—one for each non-reflection paper)* | Paper #1 1/23 Paper #2 3/5 | Pass/fail |
| Reflection Papers | Every Wednesday | 20 |
| Final | 3/18 | 20 |
| Total | | 100 |
*Notes:
If you do not submit your thesis statements on time then your paper will be docked one full letter grade.
Policies and Procedures
· Please do not have your laptop open during class.
· Please try your best not to be late.
· I do not accept attachments.
· If you have a question—ask. It is my pleasure to help you.
Late Assignments
Late papers (Paper #1, Paper #2) will be penalized one full grade. Exceptions will be made only with a doctor’s note.
Reflection papers not submitted by Wednesday will not be accepted. Exceptions will be made only with a doctor’s note.
Controversial Issues
I hope to challenge you, and to help you question “ethical givens,” but I do so in good faith, and in the spirit of academic and intellectual integrity and honesty. We will be discussing and analyzing controversial ethical issues. If you are easily offended please drop this class and sign up for another section.
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is highly valued at
Points, Percentages and Grades
| 95 + | A | | 74-76 | C |
| 90-94 | A- | | 70-73 | C- |
| 87-89 | B+ | | 67-69 | D+ |
| 84-86 | B | | 64-66 | D |
| 80-83 | B- | | 60-63 | D- |
| 77-79 | C+ | | - 59 | F |
To Succeed
To succeed in this class you should:
· Attend
· Make meaningful contributions to the class discussions
· Pass in your reflection papers on time
· Write thoughtful, clear and grammatically perfect papers (Papers #1 & #2)
· Have a crystal clear thesis statement (Papers #1 & #2)
· Complete your thesis statements by the due dates
· Read the New York Times approximately 30 minutes a day
· Check the PSU Ethics Blog and read/watch the posts
· Ask questions if something is unclear
· If I call on you during class, and you have not read the material, please say so in order that we may move on
· In your papers and in your comments, attempt to show that you’ve really thought about and engaged the material.
Course Assignments
Papers
Papers #1 and #2:
· I pay very close attention to grammar, spelling and punctuation. If your paper has more than four grammatical errors I will return it to you, dock you one full letter grade, and ask you to resubmit.
· Papers must have a thesis statement.
o I must approve your thesis statement.
o Please underline your thesis statement.
· Please limit your paper to five pages.
· APA format is required.
· Papers #1 and #2 should have the following format:
o A one page (or less) summary of the contemporary ethical issue
o A critique of the issue (approximately four pages)
§ Make a sustained argument
§ Back up your argument with ethical theory
§ Ideally, reference other current events to support your argument
· A key grading criterion: Clarity of argument/thought
Reflection Papers:
· One Reflection paper is due each Wednesday.
· Reflection papers not submitted by Wednesday will not be accepted.
· The Reflection paper is very informal. It’s just your thoughts, typed, about an article you’ve read in the NYT, or about a posting on the ethics blog. I do not look for grammar, punctuation, or spelling. If you pass in a paper you will receive credit. Simply reflect on something you’ve read or watched and write down your reflections. For example, what do you think about the article? Why is it significant? How does it relate to your life or to something you’ve been thinking about? Why do others consider it to be important?
· To make it easier for me to record your papers, please put your name in the upper left hand corner of your paper.
· Reflection papers are no more than one typed (double spaced) page.
Assignments
With the exception of the paper, “How to Make an Argument,” to be read for week one, the assignments are exactly the same every week:
· Read the New York Times for 30 minutes every day, six days per week
§ Read the front page and the business section
§ Sports do not count towards your 30 minutes
· Visit the ethics blog at least twice per week: http://psuethics.blogspot.com/
§ Here, I will be posting relevant articles, podcasts, youtube.com videos, etc.
§ Read/watch/listen to all of the posts
The Final
The final exam will consist of two or three news/business items that have made the news recently, and a few discrete questions covering topics we’ve discussed in class. You will be asked a specific question about a news event, and you will be expected formulate a clear, cogent and relevant ethical argument in defense of your position.
Course Topics by Week
Week One
Critical Thinking
· Why
· Arguments
o How to
o Boo-hurrah
· Reasoning
· Evidence
· Ideology
· Thesis statements
· Writing
o The importance of good writing
§ Writing well is not just important academically, but professionally
Week Two
General Ethical Theory: Applied to Business
· Utilitarianism
· Deontology
· Egoism
Week Three
Business Ethics
· “The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits” Milton Friedman
o Detractors
Week Four
Business, Economic, Social Ethics
· Capitalism, Socialism, Communism
· Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, Greens, Constitutionalists
· An examination of the democratic and republican presidential frontrunners
o Their positions on business ethics
o Their economic beliefs
§ American hegemony
§ “Shining city upon a hill”
§ American Manifest Destiny
o Torture
Week Five
Business, Economic, Social Ethics
· John Rawls
o Applied ethics: School vouchers and football drafts
Week Six
The Biological Basis of Ethical Belief
Religion
· Steven Pinker
· Religion: Atheism
o Christopher Hitchens, Bertrand Russell, Nietzsche, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Peter Singer, Richard Dawkins, Peter Tatchell
Week Seven
Business and Religion
· The intersection of business and religion
Week Eight
Relativism
· Relativism
o Cognitive, moral, epistemological, cultural and linguistic
§ Donald Davidson, Clifford Geertz, Noam Chomsky
· “Relativism disables judgment.”
· “Absolutism removes judgment from history.”
· True For
Week Nine
Your choice
· We will decide the week’s topic by vote
Week Ten
Course Conclusion
· Practice for the final
1 comment:
Boo!!!
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