Assignment:
Read the following article by Jay Feldman: Sunday Dialogue: How Corporations Behave
Considering the article, write an APA-formatted paper of complete 2-3 pages that addresses the following:
Part 1: Developing the Philosophical Thesis Statement
Alfred North Whitehead's statement, "What is morality in any given time and place? It is what the majority then and there happen to like and immorality is what they dislike?" is a very controversial statement. Think about this statement as you consider the following questions as a guide to help you formulate a thesis statement.
Select only 1 of the following questions to answer and develop your thesis statement:
1. Businesses can have ethical standards, but businesses are not moral agents. Do you agree or disagree?
2. Is it true that the "bottom line" of a business is profit and profit alone?
3. In business, are there other, less tangible goals that are intrinsic to, and just as important as, making money?
4. In a business environment, why should people be moral as individuals?
5. Why should a corporation or organization be moral?
6. Could you apply the first formulation of Kant's categorical imperative to a business environment?
Part 2: Developing the Essay
1. Identify your thesis statement (argument claim) within the introduction of your paper.
2. Conduct research using library resources. Please use the article presented above ("Sunday Dialogue: How Corporations Behave" as well as two additional sources.
3. Outline your essay, considering deontological ethics, teleological ethics, moral objectivism, and ethical relativism in your argument.
4. Provide at least 3 valid reasons to support your argument. Remember to think critically here - there are likely reasons that may not be evident at first.
5. Also, be sure to include the following in your essay:
• Use of explanations of philosophical concepts such as utilitarianism, categorical imperatives, process philosophy, moral relativism, moral absolutism, ethical relativism, moral objectivism, deontological ethics, or teleological ethics to structure your essay and provide evidence to support your claims.
• Remember, you can use these concepts to argue for or against a particular statement (i.e. from a deontological perspective something might be "right" whereas that same thing may be "wrong" from a utilitarian perspective).
Your argument and reasons (claims) should be defended by philosophical concepts supported by evidence, which is based on your research.
• Part 3: Conclusion
Consider morality and ethics from the perspective of Alfred North Whitehead's process philosophy and Immanuel Kant's universal categorical imperative. After conducting your research and writing your essay, could you conclude that businesses can have ethical standards, despite the fact that businesses are not moral agents? Why or why not? Please explain, summing up your argument.
In your paper must include:
• Proper introduction-body-conclusion
• 3-5 credible sources cited in APA
Reference
Feldman, J. N. (2012, September 1). Sunday dialogue: How corporations behave. The New York Times.