This document discusses ethics and philosophy. It defines ethics as moral philosophy addressing concepts like good and evil. It outlines four main areas of philosophy: logic, metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology, which includes ethics dealing with moral values. It also discusses sources of ethics for individuals, including family, employers, and religious beliefs. Finally, it examines ethical dilemmas people may face and principles for resolving them, such as considering who is affected and likely consequences of alternatives.
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Ethics, known as moral philosophy, is a
branch of philosophy that addresses
questions about morality—that is,
concepts such as good and evil, right and
wrong etc.
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Logic is the study of proper patterns of reasoning, of the
connection between evidence and the conclusions one might
try to draw from evidence. Obviously, logic is not exclusively
the domain of philosophers.
Metaphysics, roughly, asks questions about things: what things
exist? What are they like? For instance, do people have free
will? Are minds distinct from brains? What is time?
Epistemology asks questions about knowledge itself: what is
knowledge? Can we have it? What does it take to get it?
Axiology deals with questions about value, both artistic value
in the case of aesthetics, and moral value in the case of ethics.
Philosophy and Ethics
Mark I. Vuletic
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Fellow Workers
Family
Friends
The Law
Regions of
Country
Profession
Employer
Society at Large
Culture/media
Religious
Beliefs
The Individual
ethics
Sources of Ethics
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Business Ethics:
What Does It Really Mean?
Ethical Problem
Ethical
Problem
Society’s
Expectations
of Business
Ethics
Actual
Business
Ethics
1950s 2019
Time
Business Ethics:Today vs. Earlier Period
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Why People Act Unethically
The person’s ethical standards are different
from those of society as a whole.
The person chooses to act selfishly.
In many instances, both reasons exist.
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A Person’s Ethical Standards
Differ from General Society
Fraudster fleece Plagiarism
Most people who commit such acts feel no
remorse when they are apprehended because
their ethical standards differ from those of
society as a whole.
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Ethical Dilemmas
An ethical dilemma is a situation a
person faces in which a decision must
be made about appropriate behavior.
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Ethical Dilemma
A staff person has been informed that
he will work hours without recording
them as hours worked.
Firm policy prohibits this practice.
Another staff person has stated that
this is common practice in the firm.
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Resolving the Ethical Dilemma
Is it ethical for the staff person to
work hours and not record them
as hours worked in this situation?
Who is affected?
How are they affected?
What alternatives does the staff
person have?
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Other Ethical Dilemmas
A supervisor asks you to initial certain audit procedures as
performed when they were not.
You conclude that you cannot be promoted to manager
unless you persuade assistants to work hours that they do
not record.
Management informs you, now a partner, that either the
company gets an unqualified opinion for a $40,000 audit fee
Management informs you that the audit fee will be increased
$25,000 without any evidence
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Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
1. Obtain the relevant facts.
2. Identify the ethical issues from the facts.
3. Determine who is affected.
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Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
4. Identify the alternatives available to the
person who must resolve the dilemma.
5. Identify the likely consequence
of each alternative.
6. Decide the appropriate action.
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• Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have
them do unto you
• Kant’s Categorical Imperative: If an action is not
right for everyone to take, then it is not right for
anyone
• Descartes’ rule of change: If an action cannot be
taken repeatedly, then it is not right to be taken at
any time
Ethical Principles
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• Utilitarian Principle: Take the action that achieves
the greatest value for all concerned
• Risk Aversion Principle: Take the action that
produces the least harm or incurs the least cost
to all concerned
• Ethical “no free lunch” rule: Assume that all
tangible and intangible objects are owned by
someone else, unless shown the contrary. If
someone has created something of value to you,
that person probably wants compensation for
your use