INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS LAW
Analytical Paper: Ethics
Watch the 2015 film "The Big Short," directed by Adam McKay. Plan ahead to ensure you have time to view the film at least once before beginning your paper.
Essay Prompt:
There are numerous examples of ethically ambiguous practices featured in the film. These practices may include actions, affirmative statements, omissions and/or schemes. Identify and explain one such practice. Include a brief description of the parties involved, how the practice worked, and why it was ethically questionable. Then, answer the following questions utilizing the framework of the moral philosophies discussed in class and Chapter 2 of the textbook:
(1) Identify the moral philosophy upon which the parties seem to have relied to justify their actions. Define that philosophy and explain how it led them to act as they did.
(2) Select two alternative moral philosophies that might have led the parties to a different result and, for each one, include a definition of that alternative philosophy and an analysis of how the actors would have acted had they utilized that moral philosophy. Also discuss the likely outcome of acting in accordance with each such alternative philosophy.
Your answer should be written in essay format; in other words, it should not be divided into individual answers to the above questions. There is no need to consult sources beyond your textbook, your class notes, and the film itself. Your essay may not exceed 800 words and should be double-spaced, utilizing Times Roman 12 point font and 1 inch margins. Please indicate the exact word count at the top of the paper. You are to turn in a hard copy of your Analytical Paper, no later than the start of class on Thursday, October 13. Your Analytical Paper must also be submitted via the designated "Assignments" tab by the same date and time as the hard copy. Please note that the papers will be run through Safe Assignment, which will compare them against the entire Internet and our internal database to help detect plagiarism.