ETH 501
Virtue Ethics and Critical Thinking
Assignment Overview
Since he is the world’s wealthiest man, it is not surprising that Bill Gates is the subject of much controversy. As a businessman, he has been described as brilliant and innovative on one hand but also as ruthless and cutthroat in his business practices. Criticisms have included both the atmosphere he created in the workplace as well as the tactics he has used to try to beat his competitors. And while some have questioned the tactics he used to become the world’s richest man, he is also donating a huge portion of his fortune to charity. But his charitable activity has also been criticized as he brings some of his business management style to his charity work.
You won’t have any trouble finding articles about Bill Gates, but try to find several articles both positive and negative about him and a balance of information both about how he has run Microsoft and how he has run the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation or other charities. Compare and contrast what you’ve read about him with the various virtues and vices that you read about in the background readings such as Brusseau (2012) and Velasquez et al. (2008). Think carefully about which virtues and vices apply to Gates’ business and charitable activities.
There is plenty of information on Bill Gates out there, but here are a few articles to get you started on your research that will give you some idea of the controversies surrounding the man:
McCullough, J. (n.d.) Bill Gates. Americans that matter. Retrieved from http://www.americansthatmatter.com/bill-gates/
McIlvaine, A. (2016, February 4). Bill Gates’ ruthless management style of yore. HRE Daily. Retrieved from http://blog.hreonline.com/2016/02/04/bill-gates-ruthless-management-style-of-yore/
Piller, C. (2014, August 24). How the Gates Foundation’s investments are undermining its own good works. The Nation. Retrieved from https://www.thenation.com/article/how-gates-foundations-investments-are-undermining-its-own-good-works/
Case Assignment
After doing some research on Bill Gates, choose at least two virtues and at least once vice that are mentioned in Brusseau (2012) or Velasquez et al. (2008). Also, make sure to thoroughly review the materials on critical thinking in the background readings. It is very important to use critical thinking in this paper, especially for Question 2. Once you have finished your research on Bill Gates and are clear on what critical thinking is, write a 4- to 5-page paper with the following:
1. State the virtues and vices that you will focus on, and give the definitions of these virtues or vices using a reputable online dictionary (e.g., http://www.merriam-webster.com/). Note that this part of the assignment doesn’t require much critical thinking – you are just giving some definitions.
2. Using a section heading for discussion of each of your chosen virtues or vice, discuss how each virtue/vice applies to some ethical issue raised in your readings about Bill Gates. For example, you might want to describe how Bill Gates lived up to these virtues or vices or how he might have better handled a situation through use of one of these virtues. This is the main part of the assignment and requires a lot of critical thinking. Don’t just summarize information, instead explain based on the definition of each virtue and vice how they apply to Bill Gates. And use information from the articles to support the article. Don’t just blindly summarize information from the articles, instead point out how specific actions by Bill Gates embody or not embody the virtues and vices you have chosen to discuss. And remember to divide your paper into clear sections with headings based on each of the virtues and vices you are discussing.
3. Conclude your paper with one or two paragraphs giving your overall evaluation of Bill Gates and his ethics. Any final thoughts on why a “cutthroat” or “ruthless” business man also became one of the world’s most generous philanthropists?
Assignment Expectations
Be sure to use at least two sources from the library to support your discussion and analysis (choose sources that are not included in the Background section of Module 2).
· Follow The Student Guide to Writing a High Quality Academic Paper guide.
· Don’t forget to properly cite your sources—both in-text and as end references!
· You are expected to demonstrate evidence of critical thinking—as defined in the readings above on critical thinking and the grading rubric. Remember that this means your paper should not be just a summary of the articles and book chapters that you read, but rather an expression of your own opinions and analysis.
Module 2 - SLP
Virtue Ethics and Critical Thinking
For this assignment, first choose a controversial ethical issue that interests you. This can be any controversial ethical issue as long as you can find articles expressing opposing opinions on this issue. This issue could be something from the business world such as drug-testing of employees, Facebook gathering private information from their users, etc. Or you can also choose other controversial issues such stem cell research, the death penalty, etc. The purpose of this assignment is to apply some of the concepts of critical thinking and argumentative writing from the background readings to an ethical issue of your choice.
Once you have chosen the issue you want to write about, find at least three articles on this issue including two articles that take opposing views on this issue. Then write a 2- to 3-page paper that makes an argumentative in favor of a position on this issue. You should not just summarize the articles you found. Instead, choose the viewpoint you wish to argue in favor of and use the information to support your point of view. Use the template from the Classic Model for an Argument reading in the background materials.
You don’t need to worry about whether or not your professor agrees with your point of view. What you do need to focus on though is whether or not your paper is just a summary of information (in which case your professor will not give you a high grade) or is a genuine argumentative paper where you make a solid case for your point of view on one side or the other of a controversial issue. Your grade will be based on the quality of your arguments and your ability to analyze rather than just summarize information that you find.
SLP Assignment Expectations
· Be sure to cite articles in favor of each of the two sides of the controversial issue you are writing about. Don’t choose a topic unless you can find articles supporting both sides of the issue. You should cite at least three articles total.
· Follow the guidelines in The Student Guide to Writing a High Quality Academic Paper
· You are expected to demonstrate evidence of critical thinking—as defined in the Module 2 background materials and the grading rubric.
· Save your completed paper, and upload your assignment before the due date.
Module 2 - Background
Virtue Ethics and Critical Thinking
Required Reading
Virtue ethics can be traced as far back as Plato and Aristotle. Of course, virtues include such traits as fairness, self-control, and generosity. It is not difficult to understand how such characteristics—or virtues—as honesty and integrity would be relevant in the context of business ethics. In this module, we will use virtue ethics as a lens through which we will evaluate an organization’s business practices.
Start off this module by viewing this short video that will introduce you to the basics of virtue ethics:
UT McCombs School of Business. (2017). Ethics defined: Virtue ethics. Ethics Unwrapped Video Series. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfSXUPrIC_4
Now take a look at this slightly more detailed three video series on virtue ethics:
Legum, R. (2015). Virtue ethics 1-3. Rich Legum’s Business Ethics Course. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOH_qQU7-vk&list=PLEHmI0Qx0uPmwW7f5UizqP-SnlgfMWVP1&index=1
Now read the following two book chapters for a more detailed overview of virtue ethics. This material will be very important for your Case Assignment:
Brusseau, J. (2012). Chapter 4.4: Virtue theory . Business Ethics. Lardbucket Books. Retrieved from: https://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/business-ethics/s08-04-virtue-theory.html
Velasquez, M., Andre, C., Shanks, T., & Meyer, M. J. (2008). Ethics and virtue. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Retrieved from: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/ethicsandvirtue.html
Finally, for purposes of your Module 2-4 papers review the concept of critical thinking and distinction between summary and analysis. You all have been writing papers since elementary school that just summarize information that you read. But as you progress into graduate work you have to go beyond “just the facts” and instead use concepts and facts to support a logical argument. In addition to analytical and critical thinking skills being essential for doing well in your classes, it is also very important in the workplace where you have to make many ethical and other decisions. Here are some short videos and readings on critical thinking and how to write in an analytical or argumentative manner rather than just summarizing the facts:
Centre for Innovation in Legal Education. (2016). Episode 1.1. What is critical thinking. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0yEAE5owWw
Sadowski, S. (2009). Summary versus analysis. Fitchburg State University. Retrieved from: https://www.fitchburgstate.edu/uploads/files/ExpandingHorizons/SUMMARYvsANALYSIS.pdf .
Classic Model for an Argument (n.d.). Communications Students Support Center. Valencia College. Retrieved from: https://valenciacollege.edu/wp/cssc/documents/SampleArgumentOutline.pdf
If any of the above links are down, or if you simply want to read into any of the concepts from this module in more depth, then check out some of the optional videos and readings below. Also, note that the Module 2 Case Assignment involves critical thinking rather than summarizing information. There are a few links below on critical thinking that are worth checking out before you write up your Case Assignment.
Optional Reading
University of Plymouth. (2010). Description versus critical/analytical. Critical Thinking and Reflection. https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/documents/description-vs-analysis---learnhigher.pdf . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKRIAyMZIQo
Green, H. (2016). Aristotle and virtue theory. Crash Course Philosophy. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrvtOWEXDIQ
Surprenant, C. (2015). The good life: Aristotle. Wireless Philosophy. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFPBf1AZOQg