Which approach to liability completely relieves the corporation

Section 1: Fill-in-the-blank

1. [----------] Which approach to liability completely relieves the corporation of

responsibility?

2. [----------] Who of the authors you read argues that capitalism’s reputation is in bad

shape and could be rehabilitated if capitalism were oriented around the common good?

3. [-----------] What term is used to describe an exchange in which both parties to an exchange

enter it voluntarily and are fully informed of its terms?

4. [-------------] Which classical philosopher-economist argues that human nature goes

beyond self-interest to include love and concern for others and the approval of society?

5. [-------------] Which approach to liability allows a corporation to be held

responsible even if its product is not defective?

Section 2: True/False

1. The strict liability framework is equivalent to the buyer-beware liability framework.

2. Mackey believes that stakeholder theory makes being a CEO more difficult.

3. Free market theorists argue that strict liability laws impose excessive costs on businesses

and corporations

4. Stakeholder theory includes only buyers, sellers, and CEOs within its framework of ethical

concern.

5. According to Galbraith, advertising creates wants and desires in people where there are

none.

Section 3: Short Answer

1. Explain the basic idea behind stakeholder theory in your own words and be sure to explain

how it differs from the classical model associated with Friedman.

 

2. Clarify Mackey’s notion that corporations have positive obligations toward communities.

What does he mean on this point?

 

3. Briefly explain the argument against strict liability law from Bush’s Council of Economic

Advisors. Does this argument favor social justice concerns or economic growth?

 

4. Name and briefly discuss two of Brenkert’s criteria for assessing liability. Does this

framework favor social justice concerns or economic growth?

 

5. Briefly reconstruct the argument against advertising to vulnerable groups. Provide an

example of a vulnerable group and explain why that group might be considered

problematically vulnerable to advertising.

Section 4: Essay

The entire program is available online for free at:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/

 

In your lecture and readings, you were introduced to a wide range of positions regarding the

ethics and proper scope of advertising and marketing. These spanned the range of:

1. All advertising/marketing is permissible

2. No deceptive advertising/marketing is permissible (all non-deceptive advertising is

permissible)

3. No advertising/marketing to vulnerable groups is permissible

4. Marketing/Advertising as such is objectionable

5. We need to move away from a consumer-based culture filled with marketing/advertising

With these positions in mind, and using material from The Persuaders, your task is to consider

the following question:

What is your position on advertising and marketing and its proper scope and role in our

culture and economy? Where, if at all, do you find yourself in the range of positions listed

above? What are the reasons for your position? Does the film confirm or complicate your

position? Use material from the film to explain and defend your position.

Expect to write around 250 words for this essay. Excellent answers should include detailed examples from the film to illustrate the points you are making.