Case 1: Off-Duty Smoking
1. Was Rob's choice justified? Why or why not?
2. Is it fair for any employer to refuse to hire a smoker? What about an overweight person? (Are there any relevant differences between a smoker and an overweight person?). Be sure to define what you mean by 'fair.'
3. Does the job position being filled - floor manager - make any relevant difference in this case? If not, can you think of a position where smoking would be relevant?
4. Should employers be free not to hire employees whose personal behaviors are considered high risk?
5. Should employers be able to restrict employeer's high-risk behavior? Why or why not?
Case 2: Sing's Chinese Restaurant
1. Is Sing's defense a good one under the law? Why or why not?
2. Is Sing's defense a good one under the standards of morality? Why or why not?
3. Is this a case of preferential hiring? Of "reverse discrimination?"
Case 3: Merck and River Blindness
1. Given the fact that Merck is spending corporate resources to manufacture and distribute Mectizan, is the Merck Mectizan Donation Program morally justifiable? Explain.
2. Would Friedman approve of the Merck Mectizan Donation Program? Explain.
3. Should the fact that Merck's values are clearly stated in corporate publications that are widely available to investors make a difference to someone who accepts Friedman's position? Explain.
4. Should the Merck Mectizan Donation Program serve as a model for other pharmaceutical companies who are in a unique position to facilitate the eradication of other diseases in the developing nations? Explain.
All Case Studies should include the following in this order:
1. Case Study Title and Page Number from the text.
2. An abstract 'summary' of the case (yes, this comes at the beginning).
3. Philosophical questions for which you want answers.
4. Researched answers to one of the questions presented with the case.
5. Conclusions about the case (case specific).
6. Your thoughts about the case. This is where you can put in your thoughts or two-cents. Everything before this should be neutral to your feelings.
7. References
Note: I would like to see two references for each case. One reference will be the text chapter material to support the ethical aspect of the case, the other will be from another source that helps support the case. Please note that quoting information from the case study in the text (same page numbers as the case) when you make the case write-up (#2) should be annotated but doesn't count as one of the two references.