🏷️ LIMITED TIME OFFER: GET 20% OFF GRADE+ YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION →
Log in
HomeStudy Guides420,000CA160,000

RELS 2610 Final: Unit 1 Complete Lecture Notes

60 views5 pages
School
Memorial University
Department
Religious Studies
Course
RELS 2610
Professor
michael Shute

For unlimited access to Study Guides, a Grade+ subscription is required.

Document Summary

Ethics is about the good: how we figure out what the good is, how we are to live in terms of it. Our morality is the result of actions that occur as a matter of course in our everyday acts of figuring out what we are to do (the ends) and how we are to do it (the means) Morality is about what we actually do, individually and together. Ethics is the study of what we ought to do and actually do and the difference between them. We often figure out what is good and what the best way to live is when we are faced with challenges where it is not clear what we should do. Moral decisions can be as simple as deciding what to buy at the grocery store. We are always faced with choices and decisions: you are always trying to figure out what is the right thing to do, helps us think about the consequences.

Get access

Grade+20% off
$8 USD/m$10 USD/m
Billed $96 USD annually
Grade+
Homework Help
Study Guides
Textbook Solutions
Class Notes
Textbook Notes
Booster Class
40 Verified Answers

Related Documents

RELS 2610
Final Exam
Study Guide
[RELS 2610] - Final Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes fot the exam (78 pages long!)
raspberrymosquito490
RELS 2610 Lecture 1: Introduction, Origins of Ethics, Difference of Morality/Ethics
raspberrymosquito490
RELS 2610 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Ethics In Religion, Normative Science
raspberrymosquito490

Related Questions

After you have read the article the "Top Ten Principles" from below, identify any five business ethics principles that you feel are the most important and why? How do these principles relate to either your either internship, place of employment, or at your College - please provide examples?

1. Business Ethics are built on Personal Ethics. There is no real separation between doing what is right in business, and playing fair, telling the truth and being ethical in your personal life.

2. Business Ethics are based on Fairness. Would a dis-interested observer agree that both sides are being treated fairly? Are both sides negotiating in good faith? Does each transaction take place on a "level playing field"? If so, the basic principles of ethics are being met.

3. Business Ethics require Integrity. Integrity refers to whole-ness, reliability and consistency. Ethical businesses treat people with respect, honesty and integrity. They back up their promises, and they keep their commitments.

4. Business Ethics require Truth-telling. The days when a business could sell a defective product and hide behind the "buyer beware" defense are long gone. You can sell products or services that have limitations, defects or are out-dated, but not as first-class, new merchandise. Truth in advertising is not only the law, business ethics require it.

5. Business Ethics require Dependability. If your company is new, unstable, about to be sold, or going out of business, ethics requires that you let clients and customers know this. Ethical businesses can be relied upon to be available to solve problems, answer questions and provide support.

6. Business Ethics require a Business Plan. A company's ethics are built on its image of itself and its vision of the future and its role in the community. Business ethics do not happen in a vacuum. The clearer the company's plan for growth, stability, profits and service, the stronger its commitment to ethical business practices.

7. Business Ethics apply Internally and Externally. Ethical businesses treat both customers and employees with respect and fairness. Ethics is about respect in the conference room, negotiating in good faith, keeping promises and meeting obligations to staff, employers, vendors and customers. The scope is universal.

8. Business Ethics require a Profit. Ethical businesses are well-run, well-managed, have effective internal controls, and clear expectations of growth. Ethics is about how we live in the present to prepare for the future, and a business without profits (or a plan to create them) is not meeting its ethical obligations to prepare for the future well-being of the company, its employees and customers.

9. Business Ethics are values-based. The law, and professional organizations, must produce written standards that are inflexible and universal. While they may talk about "ethics", these documents are usually prescriptive and refer to minimal standards. Ethics are about values, ideals and aspirations. Ethical businesses may not always live up to their ideals, but they are clear about their intent.

10. Business Ethics come from the Boss. Leadership sets the tone, in every area of a business. Ethics are either central to the way a company functions, or they are not. The executives and managers either lead the way, or they communicate that cutting corners, deception and dis-respect are acceptable. Line staff will always rise, or sink, to the level of performance they see modeled above them. Business ethics starts at the top.

Ethics is about the quality of our lives, the quality of our service, and ultimately, about the bottom line. An unhappy customer complains to an average of 16 people. Treating employees, customers, vendors and the public in an ethical, fair and open way is not only the right thing, in the long run, it's the only way to stay in business.

1. The production of food, meat and forest products in this state are economic activities which result in large-scale soil loss. They do however employ something like a half-million people, and are a significant part of our economy. Noting that the amount of soil loss is driven by the economics of a global market beyond our control, it is argued that we need to accept this in the interests of preserving the half-million jobs which these activities support. The argument is that we as a society can make decisions about how these resources get used, providing that we are guided by a popular agreement on what is best for our collective interests. Considering the subject matter, critique the ethics of this argument.

Assignment Instructions: The founder of On-Time Technology Products is being pressured by their biggest investor to use cheaper parts that will not last more than one year. Based on your reading of ethics in this PowerPoint©presentation, apply ethical reasoning to respond to this big investor regarding your company’s ethical position on using these cheaper parts.

Checklist:

•Review the PowerPoint presentation on consequential, non-consequential, and virtue ethics. below copied in word

•Then using an ethical perspective from the above presentation, and apply it to respond to the big investor.

•Discuss how your ethical response also complies with providing exceptional customer service. Scenario Background:

On-Time Technology Products (OTTP) sells products relating to time. Their product line consists of a huge assortment of clocks, watches, daytime planner books, and software. Many of their products are unique and innovative. They have been frequently compared to other high-end retailers.. Their products are sold in retail stores, via the Internet, and via catalogs. Their call center is presently in Dayton, Ohio. Mark MacGibson is the new President for On-Time Technology Products. Mr. MacGibson is a graduate from Kaplan University’s MBA program. Mary Graff has a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Kaplan University and is the supervisor for the Customer Service Representatives. Mr. MacGibson and Ms. Graff’s plans are to take On-Time Technology Products to a new level of exceptional customer service.

PowelPoint below in word..

An Overview of Consequential, Nonconsequential and Virtue Ethics Theories

What is Ethics?

Ethics is the study of those values that relate to our moral conduct, including questions of good and evil, right and wrong, and moral responsibility.

Consequentialist Theories:

Consequentialist theories claim that the morality of an action depends only on its consequences.

It only considers the result of actions and not principles or rules in determining morality.

Types of Consequentialist Theories:

Ethical Egoism argues that each person should act in their own self interests.

Act Utilitarianism argues that each person should act in a way that produces the greatest happiness for everyone.

Rule Utilitarianism argues that each person should follow rules that tend to produce the greatest happiness for everyone.

Weaknesses of Consequentialist Theories:

Requires person to predict the future and all possible outcomes.

Can easily be used to justify questionable actions (the end justifies the means).

Nonconsequentialist Theories:

Nonconsequentialist theories claim that the morality of an action depends on principles or other factors that are not related to consequences.

Types of Nonconsequentialist Theories:

Divine command theory argues that we should obey the laws of God.

Kant’s Categorical Imperative states that we should always act in a way that is based on reason, duty, and would be considered ethical if everyone acted in the exact same way. Also, people should be treated as an ends and not as a means.

Weaknesses of Nonconsequentialist Theories:

Divine Command requires a high degree of interpretation skills.

Variety of religions makes standards hard to develop for all.

Can be rigid and ignore outcomes

Virtue Ethics:

Virtue ethics seeks to identify character traits of a moral person and develop those with the idea that the virtuous person will act in a virtuous manner. It does not look to principles or consequences.

Virtue ethics was developed among the ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and Confucius.

Virtue ethics enjoys modern support as an approach that avoids many of the problems with Consequential and Nonconsequential ethical theories.

Weaknesses of Virtue Theory:

Difficulty in determining just which characteristics are virtues

Justification for respecting a virtue usually brings one back to either consequences or principles.

Difficulty in applying to specific situations.

Conclusion:

One theory is not enough to cover all possible choices.

Theories can be synthesized to fit one’s philosophy of life.

One theory’s weakness is another’s strength.