Reference no: EM133104770

Assignment - Applied ethics

Section A
You are required to select one of the following five ethical topics and form your own ethical question conforming precisely with the instructions provided in Module 1.

1.The covid-19 pandemic
Sample ethical question - Ought I wear a mask when travelling on public transport in Hong Kong?

2. Space travel
Sample ethical question - Should we send humans to explore Mars?

3. Social media
Sample ethical question - Should employees be allowed to post negative content concerning their employer on social media if posting as private citizens?

4. Ethical consumerism
Sample ethical question - Is it ethical to purchase clothing manufactured in an international sweatshop?

5. Immigration
Sample ethical question - Should Australia remove the cap on immigration?

Required tasks:

• Select one of the five ethical topics and perform the following tasks:

• State your ethical question in one short sentence

• Explain why your chosen ethical question is important and worthy of your analysis?

• Identify the act and actor central to your ethical question

• Identify and fully reference 3 key facts relevant to the analysis of your ethical question.

Using act utilitarianism forecast two important positive and two important negative consequences of the ethical act. These forecasts of consequences need to wherever possible draw on the key facts from part c above.

Provide an answer to your ethical question with supporting rationale.

Section B
Rushworth Kidder was a well-known business ethicist in the United States. Kidder often referred to the core ethical values of honesty, responsibility, respect, fairness, and compassion when resolving ethical problems. That is, for an action to be ethical, it must contain each of these principles.

De George (2006) discusses the Myth of Amoral Business. The myth is that business is primarily concerned with profit making, and the means of making profits; that is, buying and selling goods and services is an activity without moral dimension. Ethics and business don't mix, or so says the myth. The Myth of Amoral Business is debunked, according to De George, by amongst other things the many corporate scandals that expose unethical business behaviour.

Required
Your task is to select a recent business ethics issue from the mainstream media. Clearly describe the ethical issue, relevant key facts and analyse the issue using Rushworth Kidder's five ethical principles. Conclude with a discussion as to whether business is an amoral activity.