Business Ethics

William H. Shaw is the author and editor of numerous books and articles in the areas of ethics and social and political philosophy. Shaw obtained a Ph.D. in political philosophy from the London School of Economics and teaches philosophy at San Jose State University, where he served as chair of the department for 11 years. He has also been a visiting professor at the University of Zimbabwe, the University of Hong Kong and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He has two other books with Cengage Learning, SOCIAL AND PERSONAL ETHICS and MORAL ISSUES IN BUSINESS (with Vincent Barry).

• PART I: MORAL PHILOSOPHY AND BUSINESS.1. THE NATURE OF MORALITY.Ethics. Moral versus Nonmoral Standards. Religion and Morality. Ethical Relativism. Having Moral Principles. Morality and Personal Values. Individual Integrity and Responsibility. Moral Reasoning.2. NORMATIVE THEORIES OF ETHICS.Consequentialist and Nonconsequentialist Theories. Egoism. Utilitarianism. Kant’s Ethics. Other Nonconsequentialist Perspectives. Utilitarianism Once More. Moral Decision Making: A Practical Approach.3. JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC DISTRIBUTION.The Nature of Justice. The Utilitarian View. The Libertarian Approach. Rawls’s Theory of Justice.PART II: AMERICAN BUSINESS AND ITS BASIS.4. THE NATURE OF CAPITALISM.Capitalism. Key Features of Capitalism. Two Arguments for Capitalism. Criticisms of Capitalism. Today’s Economic Challenges.5. CORPORATIONS.The Limited-Liability Company. Corporate Moral Agency. Rival Views of Corporate Responsibility. Debating Corporate Responsibility. Institutionalizing Ethics within Corporations.PART III: BUSINESS AND SOCIETY.6. CONSUMERS.Product Safety. Other Areas of Business Responsibility. Deception and Unfairness in Advertising. The Debate over Advertising.7. THE ENVIRONMENT.Business and Ecology. The Ethics of Environmental Protection. Achieving Our Environmental Goals. Delving Deeper into Environmental Ethics.PART IV: THE ORGANIZATION AND THE PEOPLE IN IT.8. THE WORKPLACE (1): BASIC ISSUES.Civil Liberties in the Workplace. Hiring. Promotions. Discipline and Discharge. Wages. Labor Unions.9. THE WORKPLACE (2): TODAY’S CHALLENGES.Organizational Influence in Private Lives. Testing and Monitoring. Working Conditions. Redesigning Work.10. MORAL CHOICES FACING EMPLOYEES.Obligations to the Firm. Abuse of Official Position. Bribes and Kickbacks. Gifts and Entertainment. Conflicting Obligations. Whistle-Blowing. Self-Interest and Moral Obligation.11. JOB DISCRIMINATION.The Meaning of Job Discrimination. Evidence of Discrimination. Affirmative Action: The Legal Context. Affirmative Action: The Moral Issues. Comparable Worth. Sexual Harassment.SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING.