Directions:

You are to write two (2) essays selected from the four (4) essays below.. The essays should be about one to one and one-half (1-1&1/2) 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. We talk a good deal about leadership in Business when we are exploring the Ethical issues in Business practices. How does the notion of the virtue life of managers fit into this discussion? What virtues do you think are particularly important for managers to practice in the exercise of their leadership. Why are the virtues you have selected essential for effective leadership?

2. Explain the fundamental tenets of  Utilitarianism. Do you think this is a good Ethical System to use to assess business practices? Explain. Do you see any problems with applying it to business practices? Explain. It might be helpful to use a case to illustrate the points you are making.

3. Look at what the textbook author says about the relativist perspective on pages 155 and 156. What does this perspective mean? Do you think it is a good way to approach business practices? Explain. Do the Ethical Systems that you studied in the first two weeks of the course provide a reasonable alternative to the relativist perspective? Explain.

4. Explain the principle of justice and how it should be used in corporate practices, particularly with regard to those practices, which provide goods and services for consumers. It would be helpful to use a case to illustrate the points you are making.