Spring 2022:
1. First Lecture in Business Ethics
An introduction to topics and concepts in business ethics, and to the structure of the course.
2. An Applicable Western Ethical View?
A review of ethical thought in the development of a western ethic.
3. Kant’s Categorical Imperative
An intro to the Age of Enlightenment: Kant’s Categorical Imperative Process.
4. Imperfect (Positive) Duty in Business
Explains the concept of positive duty (also called imperfect duty) as applied to business, and examines the practical limitations of those duties.
5. Summary of Kant to Date
Reviews the concepts from Kant covered in the semester so far.
6. The Philosophy of Evil: The Abandonment of Business Codes I
Examines evil as a process that leads to the abandonment of generally accepted business codes.
7. The Philosophy of Evil: The Abandonment of Business Codes II
Continuation of The Philosophy of Evil and the Abandonment of Business Codes.
8. Virtue Ethics
Provides an introduction to virtue ethics and various virtues and their applicability to business management.
9. The Nexus of Managerial Imperfect Duty
Discusses the links between various imperfect duties and the management team.
10. Recognizing Environmental Duties (Part I)
An introduction to environmental ethics.
11. Recognizing Environmental Duties (Part II)
Continuation of environmental duties.
12. Philosophy of Community and the Environmental Ethic I
Presents a theory of collective (or community) imperfect duty to explain the efforts of each generation to try to better the next generation.
13. Philosophy of Community and the Environmental Ethic II
Continuation of Community and the Environmental Ethic.
14. Environmental Discourse I
Describes the discourse necessary for collective action.
15. Environmental Discourse II
Describes the discourse necessary for collective action (Part II).
16. Environmental Discourse III
Describes the discourse necessary for collective action (Part III).
17. Fair Stakeholder Negotiations I
Describes the theory and processes in fair negotiations.
18. Fair Stakeholder Negotiations II
Describes rules and concepts in fair negotiations.
19. The Entrepreneurial Ethic
Explores the philosophy of action and authority in the entrepreneurial ethic.
20. Boycotts and the Pricing of Ethics
Defines and explains the concept of pricing ethics and describes several prominent boycotts.
21. Servility, Autonomy and Ethical Action
Describes how the concepts of servility and autonomy apply to ethics and ethical behavior.
Prof. Richard M. Robinson, PhD 