Philosophy (“Trolley Problem”)

 This writing assignment is composed of 3 different questions, each aimed at testing your understanding of key course concept and their application to contemporary business ethics cases. Your answers do not need to follow formal essay structure, though your answers should be provided in full, grammatically correct sentences. There will be no formal grade for spelling and grammar, though it is expected that your writing is appropriate for a university student. Departures from this expectation will affect the overall quality of your answers and, therefore, your grade. Please provide answers to each of the following questions. Be sure to define and explain key concepts and ideas, describe points of comparison and contrast, and provide examples where appropriate. Feel free to incorporate any idea that you think might be relevant to answering the question, though you want to avoid including irrelevant information. Be comprehensive but succinct. Each answer is worth 10 points. Questions: 1. Cases like that of the Ford Pinto’s defective fuel system design show us that harms are more likely to be done when the victim is far removed from the person who does the harm. How does this case relate to the “Trolley Problem” thought experiment and what lesson can we learn from neuropsychology that helps us to understand people’s varied responses to the two versions of the problem? Explain. 2. Perhaps unsurprisingly, deontologists tend to be defenders of stakeholder theory. We see many deontological principles at work in criticisms of various modern marketing and advertising practices. Identify and explain three different objections to modern forms of marketing that embody deontological principles. Explain, using examples where helpful. 3. Why might someone say that the “dirty hands” problem in business really stems from a separation between the “private sphere” and the “public sphere”? What are some problems with thinking of business as belonging only to the public sphere?