Kants Moral Theory - Term Paper Example

This theory is evidenced in the case study by the fact that the executives of Enron and Merrill Lynch both thought it was fine to sidestep accounting rules that they viewed as lesser than the rules they felt were of greater importance. Unfortunately, none of them felt bound to obey a greater law, so their disregard for law and acting in an immoral manner knew no bounds.From a utilitarian perspective, this deal would have been morally acceptable on several grounds. First, all of the parties involved would have benefited from the deal.

Enron would have been able to use the proceeds of the “sale” to Merrill Lynch to help maintain their stock price. This would be good for everyone that owned Enron stock. Merrill Lynch stood to ear a 15% guaranteed return on their investment. These two principal partners would have been the most immediate beneficiaries of the transaction. But other beneficiaries would have included those employed to continue construction on the barges, local business, and families that depend on the income and patronage of these employees and the beneficiaries of the electricity provided by the barges.

This basic resource could improve the standard of living to many thousands of families in Nigeria. The only “downside” would be the breaking of some arcane accounting rules. From a utilitarian standpoint, this was a good deal because many people benefited from the transaction and no one was really hurt. The possibility of an inflated price for Enron stock is inherent in this deal, but the overwhelming utility of the transaction benefited the most possible people.Deciding if virtue theory has anything to do with this transaction is difficult.

While I see the clear relationship between the character (or lack thereof) in the individual players and the outcomes caused by this deal, I do not see how virtue theory could be applied to this scenario.