GSPA

Text: Christina Hoff Sommers, Vice and Virtue in Everyday Life. Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1989

Purposes of the Course:

1. To identify, understand, build and argue for life-guiding ethical constructs;
2. To examine their current use and application; and
3. To trace their managerial and behavioral implications.

Course Outline:

I. Foundations in Character: How is character formed? Changed? Why does it matter? What role does individual character play in social and organizational morality?

Reserve Reading: Xenophon, "The Character of Socrates", "The Golden Sayings of Epictetus". Epicurus, "Letter to Menoecus", "The Sayings of Confucius". George Washington, "Washington's First Inaugural".

II. Greek and Pre-Greek Foundations of Western Thought: Some Fundamental Questions ("Few discoveries are more irritating than those which expose the pedigree of ideas."--Lord Action)

What is truth? Why does it matter? Why should people be good? What is justice? What is the purpose of government? What is the citizen's role/responsibility? What is the purpose of law? Can/should we impose our morals upon others? Can morality b e legislated? Are people basically good, or evil?

Reserve Reading: Washington's Farewell Address. Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self Reliance". Abraham Lincoln: "Letter to Mrs. Bixby", Federalist No. 51.

III. Foundations in Natural Law and Natural Rights: What are natural as opposed to civil rights? Distinguish between absolute and relative rights -- which are which? What is good? What is evil? Are there limits to freedom? If so, on what condition s? Does self-respect have an impact on moral conduct? If so, why? Of what importance are "private ethics" and "public ethics"? And what implications does all this hold for "codes of ethics"?

Reserve Reading: Declaration of Independence, Thomas Paine, "Common Sense". Abraham Lincoln, "Second Inaugural Address", "Gettysburg Address".

IV. The U.S. Constitution: The National Handbook. What is the role of the Constitution in our social, political and governmental lives? What are the central, core principles the Constitution embraces?

Reserve Readings: U.S. Constitution. David Rosenbloom, "The Constitution as A Basis For Public Administrative Ethics". Dennis Thompson, "The Possibility of Administrative Ethics". "Bill of Rights" from the Constitution of the U.S.S.R.

V. Divine Command Theories of Moral Conduct.

Reserve Readings: The Bible (Old and New Testaments). The Book of Mormon. The Koran. John Adams, "A Dissertation on the Canon and The Feudal Law".

VI. Some Moral Dilemmas of Management: Behavioral Implications

A. Leadership Styles: Do particular leadership styles impose constraints upon followers? Are there moral and immoral leadership styles?

B. Decision-making Strategies and Styles: Do they contain moral implications?

C. Tyrannies of Group Influences: Are people truly victimized by group-think? Are social and peer pressures manipulative? And if so, is that bad?

D. Organization Culture and Environment: What makes one culture more honest than another?

E. Organization Structure: Does it really matter how we organize ourselves? What happens when structure becomes a mechanism for isolation or insulation? What are the moral consequences?

VII. Issues of Virtue and Vice: (See attached schedule)

Grading:

1. Memory Work (5%): Each student should select and memorize something -- be it poetic, philosophical religious, literary, or from some other domain -- which reflects a philosophy or ethic with which you concur. We will take time in class for each student to share that which you have memorized, and we will expect each student to:

a. explain why you chose the particular piece you memorized; and

b. to explain what moral, ethical or philosophical meaning it has in your life. Why, in other words, was it worth memorizing, and how does it influence you?

2. Concept Application Journal (35%): (1) During each class period, choose one major issue or concern that is raised, either in class discussion or in the associated readings; (2) Then, with regard to your issue or concern, answer the following question: "What one thing, if I did it superbly well, would bring my conduct more closely in harmony with my conscience?" (3) The, having identified that "one thing", go out and do it this week. If that "one thing" is, in reality, to big or impossible to do this week, choose some "one thing" that you can do, and do it. (4) Keep a "semester record in which you keep track of your application success, and at the end of the semester submit a score or tally sheet of your accomplishments. Note that I am only interested in seeing the score sheet, not any notes or text on issues of experiences which you may feel too personal or private. I will anticipate a total of 12 entries being submitted for grading.

3. Concept Reteaching (20%): Chose one concept or idea, from the discussions or readings assigned each night, and reteach it to someone. Again, I will anticipate that you reteach 12 such concepts, and that you submit for grading only the score sheet signifying the number of concepts retaught. Note that the reteaching may be informal, occurring during meals, phone conversations with friends, walking down a hallway or driving with others in a car, for example.

4. "Media Watch" Analysis (10%): Take a case currently aired in the media where someone or some group or organization has behaved unethically. As you examine that case, episode or event, specify: 1) What happened? (i.e. what did the person/peop le do?); 2) What might he/she/they have done differently so that such unethical issues and behavior not surface in the first place? 3) What might be done, now? And, 4) what conclusions or schools of thought have we dealt with which, if adopted, would ha ve protected those involved from the negative consequences which they experienced? 5) Write up and submit analysis.

5) Final Exam (30%): The final exam will be a take-home, open book exam, In preparation for the exam, you may consult any source you choose -- friends, associates, books, articles, printed or other media, or any other source of information. T he exam will be due on or before the last day of class. Within the first two or three weeks of class, I will hand out the exam questions.

Schedule of Activities

Class # Description

1