College of
Business
Administration
College of
Business
Administration
Nature and Logic of Capitalism
1) Procreativity is necessary for the survival and continual evolution of a species. We humans, as all animals do, have a very deep and powerful drive to excel, to succeed, to be chosen. According to Heilbroner, economics and politics are the two logic's of power, which reflect this sexual drive/selection process and creates the stratification of society. What values and behaviors are important in your society?
2) What reward system would your society create that would influence and reflect these values and behaviors?
3) It is part of the nature of capitalism that the circuit of capital has no intrinsic moral dimension. With capitalism, ideas thrive while morality languishes. Do you believe in a moral system and if so, how would you instill and reward this in your society?
4) According to Heilbroner, the struggle between capitalist and worker, economics and politics is the same competitive struggle to gain access to society's money. Yet he also said neither state nor economy can exist by itself. We have witnessed the demise of the Marxist state and virtually all the great economists agreed that unbridled capitalism was doomed to failure. What role do you see the state/collective politics versus the individual/economic capitalism?
5) We have entered an era of unprecedented penetration into nature's workings. According to Heilbroner, widening impact of technology will require a corresponding widening of the defensive capability of society through the countervailing forces of government. What do you think this should be and how do you think this should come about?
Friedman "Social Responsibilities of Business" as they pertain to Ford/Firestone
1) Do you believe social responsibility is only the responsibility of the individual? Do you believe a corporation or other artificial organizations have social responsibilities?
2) Do you believe that a corporate manager only responsibility is to make as much money as possible while conducting business according to the "rules of the game?"
3) What are the "rules of the game?' Who makes the rules? Are they the same for everyone? Who audits and enforces these rules?
4) How should society value and reward corporate and individual short-term expenses for society's long-term benefits?
5) When a manager acts in a socially responsible way, is he/she in effect taxing the very people for whom he/she has a fiduciary responsibility to maximize shareholder equity?
Questions from Mayville Video
1) Must a win/win situation exist in order for a manager to make a socially responsible business decision? How about companies that use their social responsibility as a selling point?
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