A classroom idea

There is a textbook project here because there is a class to teach. Both class and book are structured around three big themes:

(1) Moral theory - we look at a variety of views and assess;

(2) The psychology of moral integrity (i.e., of living up to your own moral standards) - we look at barriers to acting on your own considered moral views and some potential solutions;

(3) Practical application of moral tools to cases - we look at a variety of business cases and contexts and then evaluate possible moral responses.

Thinking about the class itself, however, I have been considering another way to do some practical applications (Wayne Riggs planted this seed ….). Basically, I plan to try and treat the class experience itself as a business ethics practicum. The idea would be to start with an off-the-shelf Code of Conduct from the sort of business that the students hope to work for some day and then hold them accountable for following it.

I hasten to add, before any fellow philosopher blows a gasket, that I will not just be pushing some specific corporate code of conduct on my students. What we learn about moral theory and integrity will influence all of the practical applications, including the code of conduct adopted for the class - we can amend it as we go! Likewise, practical issues will ‘feed back’ into the more theoretical issues as well (reflective-equilibrium style). As I noted before, the class will be examining and evaluating moral codes that are candidates for allegiance to see which, if any, are well supported.

What I like about starting with a pretty typical corporate code of conduct is that is will help make explicit to the students that they do not come to the class as tabulae rasae - they have some views about ethical issues, however ill-considered, unsystematic, or incomplete they might be. Part of the point of the class will be to get people to think through their own views through contact with other views and arguments about them. Adding in the integrity component really highlights that this is a ship-of-Theseus task: we need to live according to our best judgments, all the while trying to improve them.

So here’s the plan:

- First big session is ‘syllabus day’;
- Second big session is course overview - review the three themes, introduce the practicum Code, talk about the ship-of-Theseus metaphor and how it applies to their studies, talk about reflective-equilibrium style adjustments to views, practices, etc.;

- First discussion section - have them read and discuss the code of conduct.