Harper College
Philosophy

PHI 150 Course Outline

Caption: The heading row descibes the categories of information about the course, while the row in the table body holds the course information itself.

Course Prefix

Course Number

Course Title

Lecture/Lab Hours

Credit Hours

PHI

150

Business Ethics

3 Lecture/Demonstration Hours

3 Credit Hours

Course description

Introduces philosophical ethical theory and its application to business decisions. Consider theories of economic justice, social responsibility, hiring practices and rights of employees and employers.

Topical outline

I. Ethical Theory and its Application of Business
A. Ethical Relativism
1. Advocacy
2. Criticisms
B. Utilitarian Theories
1. Types and essential features
2. Applications to business
3. Criticisms
C. Deontological Theories
1. Types and essential features
2. Applications to business
3. Limitations
II. Economics, Values, and Justice
A. The Profit Motive
1. Classical free market justification
2. Marxist critique
B. Private Ownership and Public Interest
1. Private Property
a. Justification
b. Challenge
2. Corporations as public institutions
C. Individual Liberties and Social Justice
1. Egalitarian Theories
2. Libertarian Theories
3. Utilitarian Theories
III. Rights, Liability, and the State
A. Business and the Employee: Rights and Obligations
1. Affirmative Action
2. Preferential Hiring
3. Reverse Discrimination
4. Conflicts of Interest
B. Business and the Consumer: Responsibility and Liability
1. Ethics of Advertising
2. Product Quality and Safety
3. Moral Response to Consumerism Pressures
C. Business and the Government
1. Self-regulation
a. Codes of Ethics
b. Corporate Social Audit
2. Government Regulation
IV. Business in Modern Society
A. Corporate Social Responsibility
1. Classical Theories
2. Emerging Theories
B. Environmental/Ecological Issues
1. Pollution
2. Scarcity of Resources

Method of presentation

1. Lecture
2. Guest Speakers
3. Class Discussion
4. Other:
a. Class discussion of case material
b. Simulation exercises
c. Debates

Student outcomes

The student should...
  1. Analyze the social and psychological factors that jeopardize an individual's integrity and relate that to individual responsibility in the world of business.
  2. Articulate the major ethical theories discussed in the course (such as utilitarianism, Kantian deontology, virtue ethics, ethics of care, theories of distributive justice, etc.) and compare, contrast, and evaluate them.
  3. Critically analyze theories about the nature of corporate moral responsibility and how these apply to current legal disputes and social/environmental problems.
  4. Critically analyze theories discussed in the course in light of current economic, social and environmental inequalities.
  5. Apply ethical theory in the consideration of specific cases involving employees, consumers, and society as a whole and communicate these effectively in oral and written forms.

Method of evaluation

Typical classroom techniques

  1. Projects
  2. Class participation
  3. Objective tests
  4. Final exam
  5. Essays/Term papers
  6. Oral examination
  7. Research report

Course content learning outcomes

Additional assessment information (optional)

  1. Written reading responses
  2. Debates
  3. Class activities including discussion groups
  4. Short papers applying class material to Current Events

Textbooks

Optional
  • Shaw & Barry. Moral Issues in Business 13th Edition. Cengage, 2015 ISBN: 1285874323
  • Shaw. Business Ethics: A Textbook with Cases 8th Edition. Cengage, 2013 ISBN: 1133943071

Supplementary materials

None

Software

None

Updated: Fall 2025

Last Updated: 9/3/25