College of Business Administration

Seminar in Business and the Good Society

Discussion Questions for March 20, 1997:

Assigned Reading:

The Nature and Logic of Capitalism

Session Facilitators:

Jennifer Hreljac, Jennifer Nanista, Kirsten Purseli

1. What is Wealth? What is the relationship between values and Wealth? In what ways does scarcity exist in a Capitalist Society...and what are the 'causes' of scarcity?

2. What is the role of material possessions to a Capitalistic Society? Should a Utopian Society allow or disallow private material possessions?

3. Is the Capitalistic Society 'just'? With the O.J. trial...Was justice served--or did O.J. buy his freedom?

4. How does unconstrained free-market capitalism contribute to and/or detract from the "Good Society?"

5. How can we deal with the injustice of Capitalism? Do we need to put constraints on our Utopian Society to make it just? Is regulation ever justified? If so, on what basis?

6. The antithesis to Capitalism is a Communistic or Marxist Society. In theory, is a Marxist Society a more 'just' Society? (Keeping in mind, Marxism is based on no private ownership--everything is done for the good of the state and in turn, the state takes care of you.)

7. Is the "want for more" innate or learned behavior? What evidence can you provide in support of your answer?

8. What kind of society do we want? Is the answer "Let the free market decide!" a good answer for a Capitalist Society? For your utopian society?

9. Is the common good best served by the uninhibited pursuit of self-interest or do we need a common interest to preserve our present system?

10. For those of us that work, why do you go to work everyday?

"Species do not evolve toward perfection, but quite the contrary. The weak, in fact, always prevail over the strong, not only because they are in the majority, but also because they are the more crafty."
--Nietzche

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