1. To enable students to resolve practical issues of ethics in
organization life and daily life more thoughtfully, faithfully, and
competently. This requires good
critical and creative thinking skills, and the ability to carry reasoned
discourse through to a conclusion.
2. To learn some of the limitations of the free market as a provider of
work and a method of allocating goods and services; and to explore the checks,
balances, and safety nets needed in order make societies more just.
3.
To see what system changes, if any, the class might propose for the
globalized world, for our city, our corporations and non-profit organizations,
and our government.
Course
Requirements
1.
Class Participation:
Students are expected to arrive on time, and to participate actively in
class discussions and small group work. If you must miss all or part of a
class or need to be late with an assignment, please discuss it with us, ahead
of time if possible.
2.
Final Paper Topic: By Class 4, February 15, students
should have picked an ethical topic which particularly interests them and on
which they plan to write their final integrating paper.
Please hand-in a one paragraph description of your topic for approval.
3.
Clippings File: You must keep and turn in a “Clippings
File” of material you cut out or copy with reference to the approved ethical
topic you have chosen for your final integrating paper.
Before turning your Clipping File in, organize it chronologically, or
chronologically by subject, and staple or paste the clippings to three hole
paper, inserted in a three hole report cover.
Please submit your file no later than class 12, April 19.
4.
Required Readings:
Students are expected to read all of the required books and articles by
the scheduled dates. If you normally do not follow business news, please read the
Wall Street Journal regularly for at least one month.
If you normally do not follow the “religious press”, please read one
of the following weekly papers each week for at least one month: Christian
Century(Prot.), Christianity
Today(Evan.), Connecticut
Jewish Ledger, National
Catholic Reporter, or several issues of the following monthlies:
Christian Social Action(Meth.),
Commonweal(RC), First
Things(NonDenom.), Islamic
Horizons, Sojourners(Evan.),
all available in the Seminary Library. Please
clip or make copies of articles, etc., from these and other sources for your
“Clippings File”. The Library
is open M-Th: 9a-9p; Fr: 9a-5p; Sat: 8:30a-3p.
5.
Written Assignments: Each
week, before 10pm on Tuesday, students must send an e-mail message
to GlobalEthics@hartsem.edu
The message should not be longer than 2-5 sentences and should include
a comment on the reading, plus a question you would like to see discussed in
the next evening’s class. Complete
the written assignments (two 2-page papers and one 10-page final integrating
paper), turning them in on the class dates shown.
The final integrating paper (which will count for 40% of your grade)
should follow the “Guidelines for a M.A.Paper” which will be passed
out to each student. Your paper should be 9-12 double-spaced pages of text,
adequately footnoted, and representative of graduate level work.
It must contain references to
books and sources (such as your
“Clippings File”) other than the
required reading. Please let
us know your topic by February 15(Class 4). An outline is due March 29 (Class
9) and the final paper is due by Tuesday, May 24.
Some
possible topics for your final paper are:
a)
An Ethics Code - If your
institution does not have an adequate Ethics
Code, clip examples of ethics violations that other institutions might
have avoided with an Ethics Code, survey ethics codes of various institutions
similar to yours, analyze them, and draft a code. (we have examples)
b)
System Changes I Recommend - (for my institution, or my community,
or my life). Besides writing
about the changes you propose and the reasons for them be sure to write about
your trade-offs—what you have to give up to pay for the gains you propose.
c)
Globalization and its Discontents – Lots of possible topics.
How about proposing to start an NGO whose mission would be to fix the
worst evil of globalization, which is “?”.
d)
Any practical ethical issue that we mutually agree on, such as
“Characteristics of a Just Community in 2005 (or later) America,” or
“Ethical Issues and Possible Remedies of 2005 Hartford,” or “Responsible
Ethical Decisions Regarding [tough dilemmas
in your own organization].”
6. Student Presentations:
A sign-up sheet will be circulated during the first class for the 5
minute presentations which will start off each discussion of the assigned
readings and on the papers due (if any) that day.
Please mark your first three choices on the sign-up sheet. Using the wisdom of
Solomon [the original one, not the author of one of our texts!], Worth and
Mike will hand back the final assignments at the start of the second class.
Each student will be assigned one or more presentations.
7. Grades: Your
letter grade will be based 40% on the final paper, 10% on your clippings file,
25% on the e-mail messages and the two 2-page papers, and 25% on class
presentations and your class participation.
Required
Reading
Childs,
James M. Jr.
Ethics in Business – Faith at Work; Minneapolis, MN, Augsburg Press, 1995
Friedman, Thomas L.
The Lexus and the Olive Tree New York, NY,
Anchor Books, 2000
Ignatieff, Michael.
The Needs of Strangers: An
Essay on Privacy, Solidarity and the Politics of Being Human New York, NY,
Picador, 2001
Rion,
Michael
The Responsible Manager West Hartford, CT,
Resources for Ethics and Management, 1996
Solomon,
Robert C.
Ethics and Excellence – Cooperation and Integrity in Business
New York, NY Oxford University Press, 1992
Other
Reading
Additional
books and readings will be on the Reserve Bookshelf in the Seminary library
during the Spring Term. The
Library is open M-Th: 9a-9p; Fr: 9a-5p; Sat: 8:30a-3p.
We
will also provide a Course Packet with selected readings from the following
two books, also on Library Reserve:
Mosher,
Lucinda Allen. Religion and Society:
The Role of Compassion, Selfless Service and Social Justice in Five
Major Faith Traditions
Stackhouse,
Max L. et. al. On
Moral Business: Classical and
Contemporary Resources for Ethics in Economic Life.
