It is a Philosophy course but content is related to Business Ethics.
Essay topic
One of the central debates in business ethics concerns the nature of corporate social responsibility—specifically, whether corporate executives/managers have moral obligations which go beyond maximizing profit for stockholders. With direct reference to the essays by Friedman, Freeman and Heath, write a critical essay on the theme of corporate social responsibility. You should address the question: What are the social responsibilities of a corporation? Is a corporation solely responsible for maximizing profits for stockholders? Or do corporations have social responsibilities which go further than this, say to stakeholders or to the marketplace?
Instructions and criteria of assessment
In addressing the above topic, you should write an argumentative essay, whereby you:
(i) State your thesis explicitly (‘My goal in this paper is to…’).
(ii) Explicate the text (identifying, contrasting, and discussing the arguments made by the authors you are examining, and which relate to your thesis).
(iii) Provide analysis (with a view to supporting your thesis)
You should draw from all three of the above-mentioned authors in answering the above question. In other words, you will be evaluated on your explication and critical analysis of the three models of corporate responsibility, and on the strength of the arguments you make in support of the position for which you are arguing. The paper should be double spaced, 5 to 6 pages long, and it is due on May 21.
Here are some questions (guidelines) you should keep in mind in writing your paper:
Does your paper have a clearly articulated thesis?
Is the thesis supported by arguments?
Are these arguments logically structured?
Do you make use of the primary texts in defending your thesis?
Have you anticipated potential criticisms of your position and demonstrated why your position is superior to rival interpretations?
Is your writing clear and to the point?
Is your writing technically flawless, free of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors?
Do you have proper documentation in a consistent style?
Will use Turnitin detect plagiarism or AI writing.
Milton Friedman, “The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profit”
Edward Freeman, “Managing for Stakeholders”
Joseph Heath, “Business Ethics without Stakeholders”
