College of Business Administration

Seminar in Business and the Good Society

Discussion Questions for February 20, 1997:

Assigned Reading:

Looking Backward

Session Facilitators:

Kurt Hanft, Michael Harris

1. Bellamy's utopia describes advances in technology, social standards and distribution. Make a list of advances in the last half century in each of the above areas and explain if they help contribute to a "good" society. Does technology bring the good life? to everyone?

2. Bellamy uses a stagecoach metaphor to illustrate the issue of distributive justice. What metaphor is appropriate for society today? Develop a parallel metaphor that would describe utopia.

3. Recall your three top values discussed in class. In Bellamy's utopia would your values be more obtainable, in conflict, or no longer significant? Would your values change? How?

4. The Bill of Rights is designed to protect individuals and unpopular viewpoints from the majority. Does the Bill of Rights exist in the "Nation"?

5. What does Barton's sermon reveal about Bellamy's view on human nature?

6. Does property belong to individuals or the community? What are the rights of property?

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