College of Business Administration

Seminar in Business Ethics and Social Institutions

Discussion Questions for July 10, 2006:

1. What is the corporation? How is it different from other forms of business organization?

2. Can the corporation appropriately be considered a moral entity? Wjy or why not?

3. What moral justification can be offered in defense of market economies?

4. What is the invisible hand, anyway? What 'evidence' do we have of its operation?

5. What alternatives do we have to market economies? What are the benefits of these alternative economic structures?

6. So...what is the primary function of an economy? Does free-market capitalism achieve this function?

7. What is the concept of 'distributive justice,' and what bearing does it have on our conception of the free market?

8. Upon what view of human nature is the notion of the free market based? Is this an accurate view? What evidence can you offer in support of your response?

9. What is the relationship between politics and economics? Does one 'type' of economice system presuppose the existence of one 'type' of political system? Why or why not?

10. Where the corporation is concerned, what are the differences between moral responsibility, social responsibility, and legal responsibility?

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