M2- McInnis

THIS WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT: At some point in your life, I hope you have observed some of these normative theories in action. Choose a situation from your life and describe how it applies to one of the theories you have just read about in Chapter 2 (Kant, Egoism, Utilitarianism, Good Will, Prima Facie Obligations, others, etc.). Discuss why you identified that particular situation with the stated theory. Be sure to describe the situation or example. If you have not observed a theory in action in your life, find an example in our history and discuss how the theory applies to the situation.

In chapter two we looked at normative theories of ethics. Utilitarianism is the theory that “we should always act to produce the greatest possible balance of good over bad for everyone affected by our actions” (Shaw, 49). What this means is that the decision you make is for the most happiness of everyone involved. The best (most frequent) example of this is in animals. I went to grab a quick bite to eat at the mini mart down the road from a friends house a few months ago. When I pulled in I noticed two smaller terrier sized puppies running around trying to get the attention of anyone in the parking lot. I got out of my car petting the puppies as I walked inside. When inside I heard the employees of the mini mart saying that the dogs had been there all day and that no one had claimed them or came looking. One employee said that if they got out on the highway and got hit that it was fate and not much they could do about it. So I ordered a few extra chicken strips and went to see if I could catch the puppies, I had called my friend and asked what her opinion was. We both agreed that we couldn’t just leave these two there, so I lured them up to my car with chicken and managed to get both of them in the car. We posted on Facebook that we had found two little dogs and was willing to return them to a owner who was missing them. In the meantime my friend and I both decided to take one, well six months later we are both very pleased with our mini mart puppies. Piper has been such a huge blessing keeping my other small dog active and perky, especially since losing my old lab. Here is Piper doing what she does best, distracting me from homework.

Shaw, William H. Business Ethics: A Textbook with Cases, 9th Edition. Cengage Learning, 20160101. VitalBook file.