Philosophy 118 is a WebCT course. Full access is available only to enrolled students.

Syllabus: Business Ethics, Spring 2004

Course Information
Course title: Business Ethics
Course number: PHL 118: CRN: 32649
Course discipline: Philosophy
Course description: The course will focus on selected ethical topics related to business in order to explor fundamental principles of business morality. The course has three components: lectures, which focus on basic principles related to a topic; readings, which explore the ethical topics in more depth than the lectures; student presentations and discussion, which focus on particular actual or hypothetical business situations. The main aim of all these components is to help students develop skills in recognizing, analyzing, and defending positions on ethical issues that arise in business.
Location: Morey 525
Meeting day(s): MWF
Meeting time(s): 1:00-1:50 PM
Instructor Information
Name: John G. Bennett
Email: jbennett@philosophy.rochester.edu
Office location: Lattimore 521
Office hours: Thurs 1-3, Fri 2-3,
and by appointment
Phone: 585 275-8145
Textbooks
Required reading: Ethical Theory and Business, Beauchamp and Bowie, Prentice Hall, Seventh Edition, 0-13-111632-0
Special Needs
Special Needs: Special needs will be accommodated whenever possible. Students with special needs should consult Mr. Bennett as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Class Meetings
Attendance: The course is conducted on the assumption that students attend each class. Students who cannot attend a particular class are responsible for making up any missed material; they should begin by consulting other students who were in class and by consulting the web materials for announcements or information. The instructor will be available to answer questions about things students don't understand.
Course Requirements
Requirements: Class Participation: Philosophy is best learned by trying out one's ideas and interacting with others. For this reason, class participation is an important part of this philosophy course. Students are expected to attend class, to be prepared by doing relevant readings, and to participate in discussion of the cases.

Case Discussions: Each student must write five case discussions. A case discussion is a short paper discussing one of the cases presented in the text book. For details about what is expected in these papers, see the Notes section of the course, "Writing a Case Discussion." Each student will be assigned to one of three groups. Each group will be assigned topics for discussion at specific dates (see below). Students may write on any one of the cases related to a given topic. Case discussion are to be submitted by posting them in the appropriate section of the Discussions section of the the web site by 5:00 PM of the second day before class discussion of the case. The case discussion should be revised after class discussion and a final version on paper must be submitted within one week of the class discussion. More details about case discussions are available in the Notes section of the course web site.

Exams: There will be a mid-term exam and a final exam. The mid-term exam will take place on March 17 at the usual class time. The final exam will take place on Tuesday, May 4, at 7:15 PM. More details about these exams will be made available as the time for the exams approaches.

Grades: Course grades will be calculated as a weighted average of the grades on the course work, with the following weights: Case discussions: 45%, Mid-term: 20%, Final: 25%, Class participation: 10%.

Tentative Schedule (Subject to Revision)
About Ethics: January 14-21
Readings: Text: pp. 1-16
Firms and Ethics: January 23-30
Readings: Text: pp. 45-83
Assignments: Group A: Case Discussion on Ethics and Business Firms
  • Shutdown at Eastland (pp. 95-96)
  • Merck and River Blindness
  • Street Children and Substance Abuse (pp. 98-99)
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM, January 28.
Class discussion: January 30
Dangerous Products: February 2-4
Readings: Read: Text: pp. 175-189
Assignments: Group B: Cases on Dangerous Products
  • Protecting Consumers Against Tobacco (pp. 247-8)
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM, Feb. 2
Class Disussion Feb.4
Marketing, Advertising, Sales: February 6-13
Readings: Text, pp. 401-442
Assignments: Group C: Cases on Marketing, Advertising, Sales:
  • More HorsePOWER? (p. 461)
  • Self-Identity Advertising (p. 462)
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM Feb. 9
Class Discussion: February 11.

Group A: More Cases on Advertising, Marketing, Sales
  • Green Advertising (pp. 520-521)
  • Sales at World Camera and Electronics (p. 464)
  • Computer Math for Car Loans (pp. 523-524)
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM Feb 11.
Class Discussion: Feb. 13
The Firm and the Environment: Feb 16-18
Readings: Text pp. 222-237
Assignments: Group B: Case on The Firm and the Environment
  • The McDonald's Polystyrene Case (pp. 249-250)
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM Feb 16
Class Discussion: February 18
Morality and Boundaries: February 20-23
Readings: Text pp. 538-550
Assignments: Group C: Cases on Morality Across Boundaries
  • Foreign Assignment (pp. 6217-622)
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM Feb 21
Class Discussion: February 23
Bribery: February 25-27
Readings: Text: pp. 550-558
Assignments: Group A: Case on Bribery
  • Facilitation or Bribery (pp. 623)
Case Discussions due: 5:00 PM February 25
Class Discussion February 27
Capitalism in the Third World: March 1-3
Readings: Text: pp. 558-606
Assignments: Group B: Cases on Capitalism in the Third World
  • Child Labor Dilemma (p. 624-628)
Case Discussions due: 5:00 PM March 1
Class Discussion: March 3
Mid-Term Exam March 17
Assignments: March 15: Review and Prepare for Mid-Term Exam
March 17: Mid-Term exam at the usual class time.
Use of Customer Data: March 5-19
Readings: Text: pp. 473-494
Assignments: Group C: Cases on Customer Data
  • Privacy, Legality, and Information Technology, (pp. 524-525)
  • Web Bugs at HomeConnection (pp. 525-26)
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM March 17
Class Discussion: March 19
Intellectual Property: March 22-24
Readings: Text: pp. 495-512
Assignments: Group A: Cases in Intellectual Property
  • Spiders at the Auction (pp. 527-28)
  • Ditto.com (pp. 529-31)
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM March 22
Class Discussion: March 24
Employment at Will: March 26-29
Readings: Text: pp. 266-282
Assignments: Group B: Case on Employment at Will
  • A Matter of Principle (pp. 321)
Case Discussions Due 5:00 PM March 27
Class Discussion March 29
Privacy: March 31-April 4
Readings: Text: pp. 282-297
Assignments: Group C: Case on Privacy
  • Health and Genetic Screening 322-323
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM March 31
Class Discussion: April 2
Whistleblowing: April 5-7
Readings: Text: pp. 297-310
Assignments: Group A: Case on Whistleblowing
  • The Reluctant security Guard (pp. 318-321)
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM April 5
Class Discussion: March April 7
Hazards to Employees: April 9-12
Readings: Text: pp. 204-221
Assignments: Group B: Cases on Hazards to Employees
  • Exposing workers to Plutonium (pp. 248-249)
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM April 10
Class Discussion: April 12
Sexual Harassment: April 14-16
Readings: Text: pp. 361-374
Assignments: Group C: Case on Sexual Harassment
  • Freedom of Expression in the Workplace (p. 397)
  • "Harassment" at Brademore Electric (pp. 397-8)
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM April 14
Class Discussion: April 16
Investor Risk: April 19-21
Readings: Text: pp. 189-204
Assignments: Extra Case: Case on Investor Risk
  • Enron and Employee Investment Risk (p. 251)
Case Discussions Due: 5:00 PM April 19
Class Discussion: April 21
Review and Conclusion: April 23-28
Assignments: Catch-up, Review for Final Exam; Course Evaluation.
Final Examination: May 4
Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2003
Assignments: Final Examination: May 4, 7:15 PM