Ethical Issues of Immanuel Kant - Assignment Example

Ethical issues Question Ethical issues of Immanuel Kant, Ayn Rand and John Stuart Mill in business There are different viewpoints in the understanding of the ethical behaviors of companies using the theories of Immanuel Kant, Ayn Rand and John Stuart Mill. The book “supersize me” considers several legal issues that the McDonald company faced on their ethical issues. It was due to selling unhealthy food to their customers. The book conducted an experiment that involved consuming the food from the company with doctors examining the patient. They, however, do not use the satisfaction of the customer in analyzing the ethical issues of the company (Spotts 56). On the case of the Walmart Company, the only theory that is in support of the company is the theory of individualism. On the case of the Kantian, virtue will and utilitarian theories, the Walmart Company is considered to be unethical in its practices. It was due to being inconsiderate to the expectations of their customers and depriving money from them. They also posed threats to the health of the consumers by giving them unhealthy meat. Under the considerations of the theory of utilitarianism, the company conducted its operations in an unethical manner. The theory argues that happiness is the most important aspect in any business. The company should work towards ensuring that every stakeholder in the company gets happy. Following the theory, Walmart Company is fully unethical. It was because of the win lose situation they created. The company becomes the winners and customers were the losers. The health of the consumers got placed at risk due to the company selling food that could make the consumers sick (Spotts 76). It demonstrated that the company did not respect the consumers or care for their welfare. The company did not make the efforts of ensuring the happiness of consumers. They only cared for their own happiness. The company also made themselves unhappy due to cheating on their customers and taking their money. The theory developed by kant also indicates that the company is unethical in a more different ration. The customers lacked a chance of making any decision. There was no information issued to them on the products they were buying as the company held the information. They also gave them false information so that they can have their money. The denial of information hindered the customers from making their own decisions on the product. The most likely decision they would have made is not to consume their products. It was due to the health hazards associated with the meat. The theory of kant also indicates that the company should not consider themselves above the law and also rules. They fully understood the illegal actions they had associated themselves with and were not willing to accept the consequences. •The company was not conducting their operations in goodwill; they were contrary to the good will as they disrespected customers and had no remorse towards their actions. The virtue theory also has its comments on the case of the company. The beliefs were similar to the Kantian theory. The interpretation of the word courage can get done in several ways. The Walmart company did not have to cater or even compensate to the customers they cheated which they did not. The courage to offer an apology or even compensation was not a step towards the right direction (Spotts 26). The fact that they acted with the lack of honesty was evident. However, they lied to the public with the intentions of making money for the company. The company did not have temperance. The company possessed unreasonable desires, therefore, they lied to their customers in the efforts of obtaining happiness and also profit. On the case justice, it was also not present. The company did have fair practices because they took advantage of customers who were innocent. The quality of the products is also inclusive in the theory. A quality product was also not present in the case. The meat was not of good quality as indicated on the packages; the meat had exceeded its expiry date. On the case of the theory made by Rand, she argued that rational and ethical egoism in a company are of necessity. It is for guiding the moral principles of the company. The theory states that a person should live for his or her own sake. There should not be sacrifices made by a person for another or sacrifice another person for the good of oneself. She addressed the issue of selfishness and also the egoism. The company did not have any right to sacrifice the consumers for the sake of achieving their own happiness. Rand described the meta-ethical theory that indicates morality to be the needs of the survival of the person. She was against the ethical altruism to be contrary to the needs of human life and also happiness. She argued that the acts against morality are evil and also irrational (Spotts 76). On the case of the McDonalds company the theories of utilitarian, Kantian and virtue indicate that the company had ethics in its operations. For each of the theories, the McDonalds had ethics in its operations. Kantian theory, however, is the only theory that breaches the ethics of the company. The other theories prove that the company fulfills the ethic responsibilities required of the company. In accordance to the utilitarian theory, the company had ethical actions. All the parties in the company achieved happiness. The stakeholders and the consumers are also inclusive in the achievements of the company. The toys made the children happy as well as the playgrounds. The theory developed by Kant also states that the actions done by an individual should get triggered with the right intentions. The public should gain respect and the decisions made by the company should be rational to the public and also the company (Spotts 46). There is an attachment of the Kantian theory to the saying that means do not justify the ends. The actions done by the company should not exempt of them from the consequences of the decisions they make. The McDonalds have made consistent efforts in the techniques they use in marketing The virtue theory by Rand also justifies the MacDonald’s company in the ethical behaviors they act upon. The theory states that it is necessary to have an expression of good character. It includes the value of honesty, courage, justice and also temperance. In accordance to the marketing techniques used by the McDonalds, the company acted ethically. The company has also recorded to have good ideas, products and also fairness to the consumers. The variety of products that they offer satisfies the various needs of their consumers. The company is also honest with the nutrition their food contains. These characters are all in line with the theory of Rand (Spotts 96). The company also fulfils their role as a provider of food to the society, it offers cheaper prices. Corporate social responsibility is a very essential aspect in any given organization. Dean and the fair trade movement defined the corporate social responsibility. The definitions are very essential in weighing whether a given business meets the required social responsibility standards. According to Dean Portney; Corporate social responsibility is a consistent pattern whereby a firm does more than the requirements set by the applicable rules and regulations governing the work safety and health, the environment and investments in the communities where they do operate. It is also a continued businesses’ commitment to behave ethically and also contribute to economic development by improving the work force’s quality of life, their families and also the society at large. In accordance to these definitions, Walmart Corporation is socially irresponsible. It is because the company has accusations of not making efforts to ensure the consumer’ happiness, but rather they cared for their own happiness. The company also made themselves unhappy due to cheating on their customers and taking their money. These aspects outdo the Walmart Corporation as a social responsible corporation with respect to Dean Portney’s definition of corporate social responsibility. The MacDonald’s company, on the other hand, complies with all the established standards by Dean Portney’s definitions. The company is, therefore, socially responsible. The company ensured that all the parties in the company achieved happiness. The stakeholders, as well as the consumers, are also inclusive in the company’s achievements. The toys made the children happy as well as the playgrounds. These aspects hence make the MacDonald’s company a social responsible corporation. The fair trade movement also defined corporate social responsibility and whose definition has been in use, in the classifying company whether socially responsible or not. The fair trade movement suggested that corporate social responsibility as the aspect of the business to understand recognize and seek ways of improving their social and environmental factors. According to this definition, Walmart Corporation’s best definition is that it is a socially irresponsible company. It is because its services to the society offered no improvement to the social and environmental factors, but it rather imparted negative social impacts to their products’ consumers. By selling pork that had expired this also records environmental degradation rather than improvement. These factors hence disqualify Walmart Corporation as a social responsible company according to the fair trade movement’s definition of corporate social responsibility (Spotts 36). The MacDonald’s company, on the other hand, by making the life of the consumers better by the toys they manufactured and the playgrounds, is hence a social responsible company. It is simply because the company complies with fair trade movement’s definition that states that a socially responsible corporation should enhance improvement of social and environmental factors of the related individuals. Question 2 Case 1 On the case of Praesel v. Johnson the court was charged with the mandate to resolve on whether a physician should warn on an epileptic patient to a third patient. The physician was on a twist of warning the patient not to drive or report the condition of the person to the authorities. In consideration to the law, there are three elements that get associated with negligence caused by acts. It includes the breach of duty, the legal duty and also the damages incurred as a result of breaching of the duty. The questions on the case include the presence of a duty. The law and statutes that regulate drivers under the condition of epilepsy dictates a regulation that includes warning the patient and also reporting the case to the authorities. The court affirmed the ruling to the Sadler Clinic and also to Johnson. It reversed the ruling in favor of Wendenburg. The court argued that the possibility on an accident got reduced on the case that the patient had no seizure for a period of three years. The court indicated that Johnson and waller did not have any reason to know the fact that Peterson had seizure for the period of three years before he collided with Terri Lynn Praesel. The court also declined the issue of imposing duties to Waller, the Sadler Clinic and Johnson. However, the court stated that Wendenburg had the duty because he was informed on the seizure in the 1990. The court concluded that a duty owed to a third party should not get imposed. Case 2 On the second case Graf v. Beard, Houston Moos took alcohol in the party organized by Graf. He later on left the place being intoxicated using his vehicle. Moose then collided with a bike and injured Beard. It was the beard who later on sued him and Graf for the accident. The statue had not availed the issue of the third case in a situation of alcohol provision. The rational was that consumption of alcohol caused the accident, not the provision. The court resulted to the creation of common law duty to the injured person; however, the statue was overruled by the enactment of the statute concerning dram shop by the legislature. The civil liabilities of the providers of alcohol use the statue as their base. The legislature had a less burden on the providers of alcohol than the common. Vendors of alcohol are less accountable because the condition that makes them accountable is only when a patron got intoxicated when he or she sold him the alcohol. The court at the trial dismissed claims made by beard to the host on failing to indicate the cause of action. Question 3 The book "The Warning" tries to establish the ethical issues that get considered in the business world. It also analysis the behavior that are not ethical The role Executive agencies play in regulating business and industry The FINRA is a good example of an executive agency that conducts the regulation of the corporate bonds, security features, equities as well as options. There is the regulation that firms that deal with securities that are not under the regulation of SRO should be a member of the FINRA. It is the duty of FINRA as an agency to license individual firms and also incorporate the firms into the industry. They also get involved in formulating the rule to govern the actions of the firms. They also get charged with the mandate of examining compliance to regulations of the firm. The agencies also make the provision of the education and also the examinations of the professionals in the industry. They also trade the regulatory products and also services to the stock market. The predecessor of FINRA the NASD agency founded the national association of securities and automated dealers quotations. It was in the year1971, the body, however, sold its ownership to NASDAQ in the year 2006. FINRA in the present day is involved with the publication of educational information targeted to the public. They also avail the educational and exam requirements. They are based to the designations, credentials and charters that are availed by SRO. b) Role played by the Executive Branch in supporting or hindering the role of administrative agencies The changes in the act allocated the president ways as well as resources needed to perform tasks. There was also the introduction of the legislative veto. It is a process that can be applied to delegate the huge role of allocating the regulations in the executive branch. The congress, however, has the right to hinder the rules and regulation from being made to law. The amended law indicated that both of the houses had to veto the bill. However, it was disagreed upon by the court by stating that it was against the constitution for the congress to declare legislative veto. From the year 1945 the branch of the executives has recorded growth together with the growth of the presidency. With the development of the political programs in the executive, the agencies have also recorded development. There has been strong links of the agency to the congress because it is the congress that legalizes the agencies as well as financing them. The congress also gets charged with the mandate of regulating the operations of the agencies. The function of overseeing the agencies is another indicator to the powers of the president. As a result, the presidency is reliant on the specialized staff that is in the EOP and also works for the presidency. Works Cited Spotts, Greg. Wal-mart: The High Cost of Low Price. New York, N.Y: Disinformation, 2005. Print. Read More