Ethical Theories
General Motors (GM) has been making a lot of news the past six years or so: most of it bad. From bankruptcy
in 2009 which required $49.5B of taxpayer money (of which $11.2B was permanently lost after asset sales) to
the largest automobile recall effort ever in 2014 (27 million cars and counting with a number of design issues).
Some wonder if all the recalls and associated lawsuits will send GM back into bankruptcy. However, the
company is approaching record sales: some say from the massive volume of show-room traffic due to all the
recalls. The purpose of this paper is to properly apply ethical theories to selected GM scenarios.
1) First section
Compare/contrast the utilitarian, libertarian, and deontological ethical theories. (20%, page #1 and 2a)
2) Second section
a) Briefly review three specific GM ethical issues providing each with a description, cause, GM
response, number of injuries/deaths if applicable, and cost to fix. (10%, page 2b)
b) Pick one of the three issues from 2)a) above and one of the ethical theories from 1) above. Argue
a case for why GM was ethically wrong regarding this ethical issue. (25%, pages 3-4a)
c) Pick a different one of the three issues from 2)a) above and a different one of the ethical
theories from 1) above. Argue a case for why GM was ethically right regarding this ethical issue.
(25%, page 4b-5)
3) Use professional writing style with references without errors in spelling, grammar, format, etc. (20%).
This paper is to be at least five full pages long (not including references), typed, double-spaced using 12 pt
fonts. Be sure to include at least five different references with three from outside of those given in class.
Note: Your grade depends upon properly using ethical theories to defend a position. Phrases like ‘I feel
strongly that …’ or ‘I believe that …’ should not appear. Instead, phrases like “Utilitarianism requires
that … and therefore ….” are better here.
Some web references for ethical theories are given below.
Internet Encyclopedia of Ethics: http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/#SSH1b.i
On-line Guide to Ethics and Moral Philosophy: http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/cavalier/80130/
Wikipedia (links to various ethical theories appear at the bottom of the page):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normative_ethics
A brief overview: http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/gwschlabach/docs/ethicsprimer.htm
A religious perspective: http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/measmor.html
A summary pdf file: http://www.uah.edu/colleges/liberal/philosophy/heikes/202/IntroEthicalTheory.pdf
Plenty of good references can be found online regarding this topic.