This document discusses several ethical philosophies and perspectives: - Relativism holds that there are no universal moral standards, while absolutism believes some acts are always right or wrong. - Utilitarianism focuses on creating the greatest benefit for the greatest number of people. - Deontology believes in absolute moral rules like "do not kill" regardless of consequences. - Communitarianism prioritizes communal responsibilities over individual rights. It also analyzes the song "Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" which exposes injustice when a wealthy man receives a light sentence for killing a poor black woman.

1. Overview of Ethics
Two different ways of thinking about ethics and business ethics
Absolutism
Relativism
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Two Perspectives or Philosophical Paradigms
Relativism
There are universal moral and ethical standards
Absolutism
No moral standards exist universally
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2. Examples
Absolutism: Stealing is wrong.
Relativism: Stealing to avoid starvation is acceptable, moral and
ethical.
Rationale: There are levels of morality. In short, a family
starving says that perhaps society is flawed and that a little
stealing is fair and justified in this dire situation.
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Cold Blooded Murder is wrong.
Cheating on scientific studies to prove a drug is safe is very
wrong.
Telling a “white” lie may be lying but if the intent is to spare
someone’s feelings from harm, well relative ethics might say
it’s a little more right than wrong.
EXAMPLE

3. 4
Free will versus Determinism (better known as fate):
If everything works out based on a universal plan of unchanging
physical laws (determinism/fate/ it was meant to be), how can
we say that humans have free will?
Without free will, how can humans be responsible for actions?
The rub!
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Our choices matter
An individual’s free will interacts with others and there are
outcomes with consequences
Our free will may bring the right or it may turn out to be in the
wrong or just screwed up.
Possessing free will means that we have responsibility for our
choices and some portion of the outcomes
Free Will
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Utilitarianism – John Stuart Mill

4. Viewpoint: Do the Greatest good for the greatest Number
Orientation: Economics
Ethical Basics: Were the actions beneficial? Consequences are
the measure of right or wrong (wise and unwise)
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Consider the trend in gift giving: The utility of a gift card is
remarkable. The gift giver is spared the time of selecting an
appropriate gift. The “gift” transfers purchasing power to the
gift card receiver to now have what they want to purchase.
Economically speaking this is a good transaction.
The ethical question is does this view of gift giving meet the
expectations of friendship?
Utility is an Economically oriented construct
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Generate the most benefits as compared to disadvantages
Benefit the largest number of people; sometimes interpreted as

5. MY people
Example – To cut costs, lay off 49% of your workforce. 51%
are happy they have a job and the company stays in business.
Utilitarianism looks at short and long term consequences
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Unforeseen consequences develop
Humans tend to downplay long term risks in favor of immediate
rewards (Make this financial year quarter look good)
Humans tend to favor ourselves and then friends over others.
MY PEOPLE versus the more philosophical US.
Utilitarianism suffers from serious human frailties
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Viewpoint: There is Right and Wrong and we know the
difference
Orientation: Moral Absolutism
Ethical Basics:
Do What’s Right No Matter What the Consequences
What is right for one is right for all

6. Example – Working the books to deceive investors and inflate a
stock price is cheating.
Kant’s Categorical Imperative
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Some actions are always wrong.
Killing
Cheating / lying
Stealing
According to Emmanuel Kant
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Viewpoint: Everyman is an end in himself, not the means to the
ends of others.
Orientation: Individualism
Ethical Basics: The pursuit of one’s own rational self-interest
and of one’s own happiness is the highest moral purpose of
one’s life.
Example: Pure Capitalism (laissez-faire) is a system where men
deal with one another, not as victims and executioners, nor as
masters and slaves, but as traders, by voluntary exchange to
mutual benefit.
Objectivism – Ayn Rand

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Viewpoint: Society should strive to maintain a balance between
Freedom and Equality
Orientation: Striving for freedom and equality means purposely
seeking a balance. Each person has an equal right to the same
basic liberties and opportunities. However, people also need
individual liberty to achieve or excel.
Ethical basis: Justice is the foundation of an ethical society.
Justice maintains equilibrium between Freedom (individual
liberty) and Equality (we all have rights.)
Social and economic inequalities may change
Offices and positions open to all under conditions of fairness
greatest benefit given to the least advantaged members of
society (this is an activist view)
Rawls’s Justice as fairness
John Rawls – A Theory of Justice
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Individual liberty and community rights may come into conflict.
Rawl’s submits that justice
is the mediation or balancing mechanism between the two.
Here is an example: In the 1980’s many people smoked as is
true today. However, in the 80’s and before people smoked

8. where every they wanted except perhaps a hay barn.
John Rawl’s Justice as Fairness
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In the 80’s and 90’s science increasingly found links (cause and
effect) and correlation between smoking tobacco and an
individuals health.
What is the right thing to do? So from a LIBERTY stand point
should you be able to smoke even if there is a good chance it
will kill you?
Example continued
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Is blowing smoke into the air where others can breath in it’s
toxins ethical?
Smoking decisions as ethical decisions (continued for using
Rawl’s perspective.
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9. Viewpoint: Shift from individual rights to communal
responsibilities.
Human dignity is intertwined with the health of the community
“Fair policies help all boats rise!”
Democratic society depends upon building shared values,
practices and habits
Communal values are developed by the group but are subject to
universal standards
Institutions of a civil society are charged with reinforcing moral
values
Communitarianism: Promoting Shared Moral Values
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Citizens should reject selfishness and care for the material and
social well – being of others
Community members have a responsibility to stay active in
political and civil matters
Orientation: Community values over individualism
Ethical basis: Quality of life includes the “other” or other
peoples lives.
Communitarianism con’t
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10. Theories, philosophy, ethics and political policy attempt to
explain and accommodate human nature.
Some Fundamentals:
1. Perhaps the most fundamental human drive is survival.
2. Another fundamental element of human nature is community,
becoming a tribe a society. Let’s just call this socializing.
Human Nature
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Surviving versus Socializing
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Life Surviving Socializing 0.5 0.5
Appendix E.
Interpretation of a song through critical thinking and using an
ethical lens.
Song Title:
Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.
Artist:
Bob Dylan

11. Genre:
Folk
Stanza 1:
William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll
With a cane that he twirled through his diamond ring fingers
At a Baltimore hotel society gath’rin’
And the cops where brought in and the weapon took from him
Refrain:
But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears
Take the rag away from your face
Now ain’t the time for your tears.
Ethical Assessment:
The most unethical or immoral act happened and was portrayed
in the first stanza.
An older woman was killed by a young man. Evidently he was
twirling his cane and it flew through the air and bludgeoned
Hattie Carroll.
Got killed by a blow, lay slain by a cane; that sailed through the
air and came down through the room, Doomed and determined
to destroy all the gentle

12. This is the antecedent we know to be a fact. The ethical
questioning begins here. The man had a cane, he twirled it, it
flew in the air and struck a blow to Hattie Carol’s head.
There is no intent of murder. However, there was a killing and
the cops were brought in.
Bob Dylan begins to paint a musical picture of class, wealth,
servitude, humility and privilege. Humility was not a virtue for
William Zanzinger. Dylan writes: he reacted to his deed with a
shrug of his shoulders, and swear words and sneering and his
tongue it was snarling. William Zanzinger is described as
prideful and connected to power. He is angry that the cops
interrupted his night out on the town. One can almost hear his
snarl as “how dare they take me off in a police car”. He is
important; Hattie Carroll is not.
She was a mother and worked hard for very little reward.
William Zanzinger was wealthy and privileged. He was upper
class. He owned six hundred acres of tobacco fields. His family
were admired and honored by society particularly in Baltimore.
In a few lines Bob Dylan sings that the Zanzingers are what
other nations call nobles or elites.
Dylan then begins to write and sing how the differences in class
make a difference in how we judge right and wrong. For me the
power of the song is that it lays bare the injustices of a class
system. The constitution of the United States eloquently and
concisely states “justice for all”. It does not promote more or
better “justice” for those with money. The United States is seen
as a place where one has equal opportunity to excel and
individuals use those opportunities to build better lives for
themselves, their community and the world. According to the
framers of the constitution and more recently, John Rawl’s
justice must be meted out with a steady hand and without
prejudice. This notion of equality fairness and justice however,
is artfully challenged by the song writer.

13. This song’s tension between humility and pride, power and
service is clearly laid out. Money, prestige and political
influence are stressed against humility and gratitude. This
tension is the ethical dilemma that breaks in favor of the rich
and powerful family known in Baltimore as the Zanzingers.
Dylan masterfully exposes the injustice in his last stanza and
refrain. It is fitting and classic. The song’s story line is no
longer about the injustice of Hattie Carroll’s killing and trial
but about societies continuing injustice towards the humble
people raising families, working and hoping for a better life.
Last Stanza:
In the courtroom of honor, the judge pounded his gavel
To show that all’s equal and that the courts are on the level
And that the strings in the books ain’t pulled and persuaded
And that even the nobles get properly handled
Once that the cops have chased after and caught’em
And the ladder of law has no top and no bottom
Stared at the person who killed for no reason
Who just happened to be feelin’ that way without warnin’
And he spoke through his cloak, most deep and distinguished
And handed out strongly, for penalty and repentance

14. William Zanzinger with a six-month sentence
Final Refrain:
Oh, but you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears
Bury the rag deep in your face
For now’s the time for your tears.
Ethical Summary:
This is a song that questions fairness and justice in our society.
Power and money may not always win the day but certainly we
all know of situations where justice does not mean equality and
fairness for all. Moreover, a six month sentence for killing
someone is a travesty of justice and certainly not proportional
for the act and arrogance intertwined with the entire situation.
John Rawl’s wrote that justice keeps freedom and equality in
balance. This song exposes the hypocrisy that happens to often
in our justice system: the powerful have more freedom than the
rest of us. When the powerful are not punished for wrongful
acts, society questions the fairness of the system. Worse is that
questioning becomes distrust and eventually social unrest.