My Experience So Far With Business Ethics At University

[IsaacGage860]

Currently I am enrolled in a Business Ethics course while pursuing my Bachelors Of Business Administration. I must say, Stefan and Michael's podcasts have been invaluable references for me to call on while completing the course work. I just finished the chapter on Normative Theory of Ethics which featured a critique of Adam Smith that I had not initially considered and also had Immanuel Kant with the concepts that he coined such as "categorical imperative" and "universal acceptability" which reminded me an awful lot of Stefan's "Universally Preferable Behavior: A Rational Proof Of Secular ethics. I love Western philosophy so much.  #TheWestIsTheBest No if you will excuse me I am going to go pull an all nighter reading Atlas Shrugged.   

[Mister Mister]

glad to hear you are enjoying your studies

 

the categorical imperative is a nice try, a more rigorous version of the "Golden Rule", but is seriously flawed and fails upon examination.  Kant says,

 "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law"

 

First of all, it isn't clear which actions are a maxim and which are not.  If I listen to heavy metal music, do I at the same time will that everyone MUST listen to heavy metal music?  If I steal but make an excuse for it, like I'll pay the guy extra, later, I could will that this is a universal law.  People are good at this kind of manipulation with themselves and with others (It's different when I do it).

 

  Also, when he says "whereby you can...will", doesn't this come down to preference to some extent?  A big strong person could WILL that it is a universal law that all disputes be resolved by an arm wrestling match.  This phrasing in particular is vague and not very clear philosophically.  One of the biggest challenges in ethics is differentiating between preferences, and morals (or universal preferences), if there is such a thing.

 

  So like I said, I think it's a nice try, but essentially begs the question, and doesn't really solve any of the fundamental problems of ethics.  Kant was also a big Statist and a bit of a religious mystic so there's that...

[IsaacGage860]

glad to hear you are enjoying your studies

 

the categorical imperative is a nice try, a more rigorous version of the "Golden Rule", but is seriously flawed and fails upon examination.  Kant says,

 "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law"

 

First of all, it isn't clear which actions are a maxim and which are not.  If I listen to heavy metal music, do I at the same time will that everyone MUST listen to heavy metal music?  If I steal but make an excuse for it, like I'll pay the guy extra, later, I could will that this is a universal law.  People are good at this kind of manipulation with themselves and with others (It's different when I do it).

 

  Also, when he says "whereby you can...will", doesn't this come down to preference to some extent?  A big strong person could WILL that it is a universal law that all disputes be resolved by an arm wrestling match.  This phrasing in particular is vague and not very clear philosophically.  One of the biggest challenges in ethics is differentiating between preferences, and morals (or universal preferences), if there is such a thing.

 

  So like I said, I think it's a nice try, but essentially begs the question, and doesn't really solve any of the fundamental problems of ethics.  Kant was also a big Statist and a bit of a religious mystic so there's that...

Thank you, I hadn't really considered that angle about Kant initially either. All apart of the learning process I suppose. 

[Siegfried von Walheim]

Currently I am enrolled in a Business Ethics course while pursuing my Bachelors Of Business Administration. I must say, Stefan and Michael's podcasts have been invaluable references for me to call on while completing the course work. I just finished the chapter on Normative Theory of Ethics which featured a critique of Adam Smith that I had not initially considered and also had Immanuel Kant with the concepts that he coined such as "categorical imperative" and "universal acceptability" which reminded me an awful lot of Stefan's "Universally Preferable Behavior: A Rational Proof Of Secular ethics. I love Western philosophy so much.  #TheWestIsTheBest No if you will excuse me I am going to go pull an all nighter reading Atlas Shrugged.   

 

OMG that is totally right !!! (I say as if I had switched genders for a moment  )

 

As someone who decided to go into the working world immediately rather than college, I'd be interested in reading more of what your college experience (in business) is like. 

 

And I suppose making a post about how helpful FDR has been to my working life would be in order...