Directions:

You are to write four (4) of the following five (5) essays. The essays (each essay) should be about one to two pages in length, typed double spaced in MS Word. [SUBMISSION SHOULD BE BY E-MAIL ATTACHMENT  AND NOT BY INCORPORATING YOUR ANSWER INTO AN E-MAIL MESSAGE: <Lawrence.Ulrich@notes.udayton.edu>]  You are to (1) recount what the authors you have read on the topic have said, (2) try to relate ideas with each other, and (3) state your own reactions/reflections about the issues under exploration. Please be clear about where your opinion begins. You should not merely state an opinion but give carefully considered reasons for your opinions. Remember that this is a philosophy course and the reasons which you develop and organize to support your opinions will be more important than the opinions themselves. Ultimately you should demonstrate that you (1) have read the text, (2) are familiar with the ideas, (3) have thought about them carefully, and (4) have been able to formulate soundly based opinions as a result of the reading you have done.

In submitting your work by e-mail attachment, please consult the Q&A Page for directions on submitting your work. Following the directions posted there as question number 1 will minimize any  problems you may have in submitting your work and my returning it to you.

1. What does it mean to have a right? Distinguish between moral and legal rights. Look at the Bills of Rights on the website. Identify three rights (and which Bill of Rights states them), which you think could be characterized as "Human Rights," that is, rights than can apply to all human beings. Briefly explain the significance of those rights for human welfare. DO NOT use the UN Declaration of  Human  Rights for this answer.
 

2. Look at the case of Bernard Ebbers, which is found in this second period of the course. Look at this case from the vantage point of Eugene Heath whose two articles "Justice" and "Selfishness" are in the same unit as the material on Bernard Ebbers (the articles are on ERESERVE). Assess the activity of Bernard Ebbers using Heath's insights. Using a Utilitarian approach weigh what Ebbers did against the interests of his employees and the consumers of his services. What does this Utilitarian analysis reveal about Bernard Ebbers?

3. What does Karl Marx mean by "alienated labor?" {To get a good sense of this you need to read the section on ERESERVE on "alienated labor." Your textbook has only an abbreviated selection from this text.] Then read the Wall Street Journal articles on Richard Grasso and Lee Raymond. How do you think Marx would critique these "rather plump" pay and compensation packages. Do you think this Marxian critique would be a fair one? Explain.

4. What is cultural relativism?  In what way does cultural relativism create special problems for business practices in a global marketplace? In what way does cultural relativism nullify the notion of "Human Rights?" Do you think that the theory of cultural relativism is so convincing that there are no such things as "Human Rights?" Explain.

5. So, you have read all about Martha Stewart in the last couple of years. We know that she was found guilty only of lying. But do you think that she was also guilty of insider trading? What is insider trading anyway and how can we know when a trade is of the "insider" variety? And what is so wrong with insider trading anyway?