3. Applied Ethics

3. Applied Ethics

1. Euthanasia

   • When an individual is painlessly killed because that is what they wish, or because they have no choice to object
   • Quality of Life
     • Suggests that it would be better to die when quality of life is judged to be so poor to not be worth continuing
     • Peter Singer
       • Believes we should be focusing on quality of life rather than sanctity of life Countries operating euthanasia appear to be working well anyway, though those who do not meet personhood must not be granted their wish It would also be more economic to allow those being kept alive by expensive life support machines to die
   • Sanctity of Life
     • Human life is sacred, and it should be preserved and treated with respect Genesis: States that human's life was made in God's image
   • Types
     • Active Euthanasia
       • Involves mercy killing, such as a doctor deciding that it is in a patient's best interests to die It can be related to passive euthanasia
       • James Rachels
         • Smith and Jones stand to gain large inheritances were anything to happen to each of their young cousins Smith drowns his cousin while he is taking a bath, although Jones' cousin has already slipped and fell, so he watches him drown Rachels argues that Jones' actions are a perversion of moral reasoning, so killing is just as bad as letting die
     • Voluntary Euthanasia
       • Carried out at a person's request, when they have consented to having their life taken
     • Non-Voluntary Euthanasia
       • Occurs when consent is not possible, such as when the patient is in a coma

2. Business Ethics

   • Capitalism refers to when an economic system is based upon private ownership of how things are made and sold, in which businesses freely compete with each other to make profits
   • Corporate Social Responsibility
     • Believes businesses also have ethical responsibilities, both in their own right and to the wider community This includes philanthropy, being sustainable, treating workers well, adhering to legislation, allowing trade unions, and environmental responsibilities
     • Milton Friedman
       • The Social Responsibility of Business it to Increase its Profits (1970) Argues that a CEO risks getting fired if they do not adhere to their responsibility to the shareholders; they can contribute to other causes in their own time and with their own salary It would be wrong to use business money to refrain from price increases, create jobs for the unskilled, and invest in pollution programmes
     • Slavoj Zizek
       • Businesses should donate profits to charities in their own time, rather than including donations to charity in their prices For instance, Starbucks are relying on consumers to maintain their status as ethical Individuals could then allow the money they save to go towards their own causes, making society more democratic
     • Positives
       • Businesses are acting morally, as a duty and obligation Serves as a unique selling point (USP), linking to an improved image and the rise of the ethical consumer Improved staff morale leads to increased productivity Attraction for shareholders and recruitment of top-level graduates who seek organisations with ethical elements
   • Shareholders and Stakeholders
     • Shareholders: Owners of shares in a business, who contribute towards it Stakeholders: Interested in the success or failure of a business
   • Globalisation
     • Refers to how the world is becoming increasingly interconnected with itself
     • Thomas Friedman
       • Says there are many incentives for participating in the global trade community Not participating may result in shareholders abandoning you, and you can also contribute to other economies Businesses must aim to preserve cultures (glocalisation), such as not using beef in fast food products in India
     • Pope Benedict XVI (2009)
       • "Globalisation, a priori, is neither good nor bad"
     • Theresa May (2016)
       • Businesses should be allowed to compete in a free market, though there should be more government control over them
     • Peter Singer
       • Globalisation means that 'private decisions' have an effect on everyone, such as car emissions having affecting the Bangladeshi farmer trying to sustain his farm one metre above sea level We should therefore aim to be more mindful in our actions
     • Nestle Boycott (1970s)
       • Developing countries were sold baby milk powder which would have deadly effects when mixed with their untreated water Multilingual countries such as Mozambique were also sold this product which only contained English instructions for use
     • Trafigura Disaster (2006)
       • People in the Ivory Coast became ill after toxic waste was dumped there Trafigura had attempted to dispose of the waste in Amsterdam, although were not willing to pay high prices They therefore dumped the waste in the Ivory Coast due to cost effectiveness
     • Rana Plaza Disaster (2013)
       • Over 1,100 Bangladeshi workers were killed after their poorly constructed sweatshop collapsed Workers had reportedly complained of cracks appearing within the building, although these were not acknowledged
     • Lush
       • Policy One - Fighting Against Animal Testing: Lush buy ingredients for their products which are not associated with animal testing, and embarked on a six-month campaign to collect 350,000 signatures for the EU to criminalise animal testing in businesses Policy Two - Ethical Buying: Lush find the best natural raw materials which are safe and 100% recyclable, and buy them from farmers and processors where they can Policy Three - External Auditing: The Ethical Consumer Research Organisation conduct a review of their buying history, The Vegetarian Society certify that their products are animal-free, and The Soil Association ensures their ingredients are raw and fresh
       • The Body Shop
         • Have their own Supplier Code of Conduct, whereby they regularly visit their suppliers (over 120) to ensure they know how their workers (over 30,000) are being treated through providing questionnaires and tracking their progress They also meet strict biodegradability standards and packaging is limited as well as being recycled