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• Sunday Dialogue: How Corporations Behave

Considering the article, write an APA-formatted paper of 4–5 pages that addresses the following:

Part 1: Developing the Philosophical Thesis Statement

Alfred North Whitehead’s statement: “What is morality in any given time and place? It is what the majority then and there happen to like and immorality is what they dislike” is a very controversial statement. Think about this statement as you consider the following questions as a guide to help your formulate a thesis statement.

Select 1 of the following questions to answer and develop your thesis statement:

• Businesses can have ethical standards, but businesses are not moral agents. Do you agree or disagree?
• Is it true that the “bottom line” of business is profit and profit alone?
• In business, are there other less tangible goals that are intrinsic to and just as important as making money?
• In a business environment, why should people be moral as individuals?
• Why should a corporation or organization be moral?
• Could you apply the first formulation of Kant’s categorical imperative to a business environment?

Part 2: Developing the Essay

• Identify your thesis statement (argument claim) within the introduction of your paper.
• Conduct research using library resources.
• Outline your essay, considering deontological ethics, teleological ethics, moral objectivism, and ethical relativism in your argument.
• Provide at least 3 valid reasons to support your argument.
• Also, be sure to include the following in your APA formatted essay:
  • Use of explanations of philosophical concepts such as utilitarianism, categorical imperatives, process philosophy, moral relativism, moral absolutism, ethical relativism, moral objectivism, deontological ethics, or teleological ethics to structure your essay and provide evidence to support your claims.

Your argument and reasons (claims) should be defended by philosophical concepts supported by evidence, which is based on your research. Please use the APA library to begin your research.

Part 3: Conclusion

Consider morality and ethics from the perspective of Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy and Immanuel Kant’s universal categorical imperative. After conducting your research and writing your essay, could you conclude that businesses can have ethical standards, despite the fact that businesses are not moral agents? Why or why not? Please explain summing up your argument.

Part 4: Review Checklist before submitting essay

1. Your essay should be checked for proper use of grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
2. You may find that you change your mind on the issue as you are writing your paper. That is fine, but be sure to present your ultimate decision at the beginning of the paper, and stick to it consistently throughout. This may require that you go back and change paragraphs to support your changed thesis statement.
3. Your argument should be clear, concise, and supported with logically valid claims and evidence followed by APA in-text citations.
4. A reference page documenting your sources should be included.

Please submit your assignment.

For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.

Reference

Feldman, J. (2012, August 27). Sunday dialogue: How corporations behave. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/opinion/sunday/sunday-dialogue-how-corporations-behave.html?ref=ethics

Grading Criteria: