Ethics Lecture 1: Essential Characteristics

Lecture 1: Essential Characteristics of Ethics

• Ethics is the study of human behavior, a part of philosophy with practical applications.
• Ethics aims to guide human excellence and virtue.
• Philosophers investigate the reasons behind actions, choices, and decisions in individual and communal contexts.
• Ethical frameworks evaluate the morality of actions and behaviors, including personal and organizational contexts.
• Ethics distinguishes between "acts of man" (natural) and actions (voluntary).
• Ancient theories focus on the "agent," while modern theories emphasize the "act" itself, often abstracting from the person performing it.

Practical Aspects of Ethics

• Ethics, as defined by Mele (2019) is a guide for human excellence, aiming toward virtue (Aristotle, 2000).
• It's a systematic approach to understanding morality from a philosophical perspective.
• A systematic, rational perspective helps evaluate morality of actions, separate from the emotional reactions and values.
• Aristotle states that actions define who we are (“we become just by performing just acts, temperate by performing temperate ones, brave by performing brave ones").

Lecture 2: Deontological Ethics and Categorical Imperatives

• Deontological ethics is centered on duty and adherence to rules.
• Kant argued that ethics determines how the world "ought to be" rather than just how it is.
• Categorical imperatives, a core concept, involve universalizability (actions should be applicable to all circumstances) and treating individuals with intrinsic worth (never merely as a means).
• The "formula of universal law," suggests focusing on the maxim behind an action to determine its universal applicability.
• The "formula of humanity," emphasizes treating all individuals as ends in themselves, not simply as means to an end.

Lecture 2: Consequentialism and Utilitarianism

• Consequentialism focuses on the outcomes of actions, rather than the intentions or rules behind them.
• Utilitarianism, a specific consequentialist theory, aims to maximize happiness and well-being for the greatest number of people.
• Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill championed Utilitarianism, emphasizing the greatest happiness for the greatest number as the measure of right and wrong.
• The principle of utility prioritizes actions producing the most pleasure and least pain for the majority.
• Limitations include potential conflicts with individual rights or justice.

Lecture 2: Virtue Ethics

• Virtue ethics examines character traits and how they shape actions.
• Central concept is "eudaimonia" : flourishing/living a good life.
• Practical wisdom (prudence) is vital in identifying virtuous actions and choosing appropriate courses of action guided by virtues
• Virtue ethics looks to how we develop virtue in our actions so we lead better lives.
• Justice, Courage, Temperance, and Practical Wisdom are key virtues.

Lecture 2: Comparing Ethical Theories

• Ethical theories are presented and contrasted in terms of their approaches, core principles, proponents, and limitations
• Different types of ethical theories have different ways of looking at the moral issues raised.

Lecture 2: Personal, Business, and Social Ethics

• Personal ethics: guide individual behavior to promote flourishing.
• Business ethics: guide business practices to create positive societal impact
• Social ethics: address societal structures and systems for collective well-being.

Lecture 3: Individual Ethics in Business

• Responsibility derives from Latin "respondere"(to respond).
• Two main assumptions are the existence of someone we are responsible and freedom to act.
• Modifiers of responsibility are knowledge and consent
• Lack of consent or knowledge impacts moral responsibility, including: -Invincible or Surmountable Ignorance -Intentional Ignorance -Sociological and Mental Illness factors.

Lecture 3: Actions and Responsibility

• Actions (and omissions) shape an individual's moral responsibility
• Cooperation involves working with others, including formal and material cooperation in specific contexts.
• Voluntary actions, involuntary actions, and inducing actions affect responsibility in different ways.

Lecture 3: Frequent Ethical Issues in Business

• Key frequent ethical issues in business are a variety including:
• Misappropriation, Misuse, Intellectual Property Theft, Fraud, Conflicts of Interests and other ethical concerns.

Lecture 4: Cultural Relativism

• Cultural Relativism posits moral principles are relative to specific cultures.
• Cultural actions and practices may conflict, leading to differing approaches to morality across cultures.
• Criticisms include the lack of universal values, and difficulty in judging actions concerning cultural customs.

Lecture 4: Cultural Imperialism and Moral Pluralism

• Cultural Imperialism involves imposing a dominant culture on others.
• Moral Pluralism is the acceptance and understanding of multiple ethical viewpoints.
• Moral Pluralism recognizes different moral views without making judgments concerning which is best.

Lecture 4: UN Compact

• Ten UN principles divided into four areas: Human Rights, Labor, Environment, Anti-Corruption, to encourage responsible business within guidelines.

Lecture 4: Standards of International Labour Organisation

• The ILO standards cover Freedom of Association, Forced Labor, Abolition of Child Labor and Discrimination in Employment and Occupation.

Lecture 4-6: Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRIME)

• PRIME represents the efforts of universities in supporting UN Global Compact goals.
• This initiative encourages responsible management education encompassing various components of the business context.