Business and Professional Ethics (PHIL*2600 DE)

Term: Fall 2013

Details

In 1970 Milton Friedman said that it is the social responsiiblity of business to increase its profits. Put anothe rway, businesses are there to make money, not be socially conscious. The business community has been wrestling with this comment ever since. On one level, it seems obvious that a business should concern itself with making a profit, but what if that profit comes as a result of displacing indigenous groups in Africa to put in a new mine or converting eco-systems to produce export crops that make local residents dependent on foreign trade to feed themselves? Does a business not bear some responsibility in these situations that goes beyond profit making? Or should a business simply be concerned with ensuring that its practices are within the bounds of law and the rest of the problems can be dealt with by lawmakers for example? These are some of the questions that we will address in this course.

Syllabus

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PHIL2600 Syllabus.pdf	435.93 KB