Business and Utilitarian Ethics Discussion

In the airplane manufacturing case, the president of the company [[bribes]] a key government official of a foreign country who happens to be in debt. The government official takes the bribe and makes a big purchase of planes from the company. The purchase provides the resources needed for the company to stay in business and for people within the company to keep their jobs. According to the Utilitarianism, actions, like making and taking bribes, do not have any intrinsic value. No action is inherently or intrinsically good or bad. And, thus, bribery, in some case, can be morally justified. Explain this fully. (2.5 pts) According to deontological ethics, in contrast, actions, like making and taking bribes, do have intrinsic value. They are intrinsically or inherently immoral. Thus, given the nature of the action, it can never be morally justified. Explain fully (2.5 pts) 2. The categorical imperative says that we should always act in ways that we can rationally will to be a universal maxim or law. For any action x, if we can rationally will that x be made into a universal maxim or law, x is morally good. If we cannot will that x be made into a universal maxim or law, x is not morally good. Lying, according to the Kantain, is, by its very nature, immoral or morally bad. The reason is that it violates the categorical imperative. That is, it is not something that we can rationally will to be a universal maxim or law. Explain this in full (5pts) 3. Here is an argument that a structural system that allows for Bill Gates to earn $2 billon a year while millions of people live under the poverty line is ethically justified. P1: In such a system, anyone with the right work ethic and the right business idea can earn the kind of money Gates does. P2: If, in such a system, anyone with the right work ethic and the right business idea can the kind of money Gate does, then, everyone, within that system has equal opportunity. P3: If, in a structural system, everyone has equal opportunity, then, such a system is fair. P4: If a structural system is fair, it is ethically justified. C: A structural system that allows for Bill Gates to earn $2 bill a year while millions of people live under the poverty line is ethically justified. What do you take to be the weakest part of this argument? Explain fully why. (5 pts) 4. The Marxist claims that capitalism is based on human exploitation. It is inherently exploitive. The argument is this: P1: In capitalism, human labor is always sold at less than its real worth. P2: If, in capitalism, human labor is always sold at less than its real worth, then, in capitalism, human labor is based on human exploitation C: In capitalism, human labor is based on human exploitation. What do you take to be the weakest part of this argument. Explain fully why. (5 pts) …