Directions:

You are to write three (3) essays selected from the five (5) essays below.. The essays should be about one to one and one-half (1-1/12) pages in length (about 300-500 words), 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(s), (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.

1. How does Aristotle define virtue? Give some explanation of this definition. In what way is the notion of virtuous practice important for a corporation both for its managers (and above) and other employees? In what way do you think the NASDAQ Credo reflects Aristotle's notion of virtue?

2. Integrity, and trust are important virtues that are central to corporate practices. Give a conceptual analysis [i.e., explain what is involved in understanding each of them] of each of these virtues. How are they each specifically important in the functions of corporation in relation to its stakeholders? Do you think that the statement by PriceWaterhouseCoopers helps us to understand these virtues? Which of the ethical systems you have examined provide the best context for promoting the practice of these virtues? [You are not limited to Virtue Ethics here.] Explain.

3. In what way is the virtue of integrity the foundation for accounting practices. Pick one of the cases reported by The Wall Street Journal and linked from the readings for Week 6. Examine where the breakdown in integrity occurred and what could have been done to prevent the breakdown and subsequent problems with the company's accounting system. [If you did not answer #2 above, do a conceptual analysis of integrity as a part of this answer.]

4. Give an ethical analysis of the case of "The Aircraft Brake Scandal," which is found on ERESERVE. Specifically address the issue of whistleblowing and the matters of integrity and loyalty, which are important elements in the process of whistleblowing. What conflicts do you see in whistleblowing and how do you see those conflicts resolved? Do you think YOU could have blown the whistle in the aircraft brake situation? Explain. Do any of the ethical systems give you guidance here? ["Yes" or "no" will not suffice as an answer here.

5. Explain the stakeholder theory of the corporation. How could this theory help corporations in making decisions about the way their decisions affect their impact on (1) the environment, (2) the safety of their employees, (3) the rights of their employees? How might this stakeholder theory cast a different light on Milton Friedman beliefs about the social responsibility of the corporation?