Midterm

1 What is the distinction between causal responsibility and moral responsibility? What are, if any, the excusing conditions for moral responsibility? What role do these excusing conditions play in terms of a) moral responsibility and b) moral accountability? Causal responsibility and moral responsibility are very similar in the sense that both are referring to a person`s action at a given point in time or in an event and an obligation of an individual to do what should be done in a certain situation to produce an effect that may be either desirable or undesirable CITATION Ric09 \l 1033 (DeGeorge). However, there is a difference between the two. Causal responsibility is an obligation of a person that is commanded by authority or is compelled by his duty that should be satisfied to attain good results in a given situation." On the other hand, moral responsibility may result to positive or negative consequences and reactions of other people depending on a decision of an individual to do something that is usually personally believed to be virtuous CITATION Ric09 \l 1033 (DeGeorge). To further understand these two responsibilities it is best to view these in a situation. In a business one of the manager`s responsibilities is to make the business sustainable. As a causal responsibility the manager is expected to make decisions and actions that lead towards this goal and ensures that this is achieved. Therefore, if the owner of the business now tells the manager that some workers should be dismissed from their work because the business should be more profitable or this will increase earnings, even if all the workers are excelling and are valuable to the company, some employees will surely be terminated by the manager. Even if the manager sees the employees as assets of the business the people will still be fired because the former ensures that the company is sustainable. On the other hand, using the same scenario applying moral responsibility the manager will act otherwise. If the manager allows moral responsibility to rule when handling employees he will then talk to the owner and discuss the business` moral responsibilities. The manager may say that the employees are very good, efficient and effective assets to the company and did not do anything against the company therefore dismissing them is not moral. Furthermore, as employer, the company also has a responsibility towards the employee to regularly provide the job especially because these are good employees we are talking about. The business also has an indirect responsibility to the dependent family members of an employee that they are going to terminate. Aside from considering moral obligations of a person in a situation there are also excusing conditions for moral responsibility. Ignorance is one acceptable reason which excuses one from moral responsibility. An example of this is when one opens the light in the hope of seeing in the darkness but pushed the alarm button instead and woke up the whole building, one can be excused for being ignorant on where the switch of the light and the emergency button. Another example is that of a courier asked to deliver a box but is not aware that the box contains deadly chemicals as he travels nonchalantly not knowing the harm he is causing the environment. Even if he is part of the chain of events where something really harmful is taking place, he cannot be made to be fully responsible for everything. Another condition that excuses one from moral responsibility is force. When one is compelled to act by threat or direct violence, one`s freedom is compromised and full moral responsibility can be excused. People who marry at gunpoint or those who have sex because of a threat is not really free in his or her actions. Another example of this are hypnosis, kidnapping, and brainwashing. Refugees who are forced to move to other places because of natural disasters are included in this classification. The final excusing condition for moral responsibility is insanity. The psychopath person is not able to think and act clearly and accordingly therefore moral responsibility is close to impossible and cannot be put on a psychopath person. The role that the excusing conditions play in moral responsibility and moral accountability is that excusing conditions serve as limitations in different cases or scenarios, better judgment are given through these and, lastly, precautions will be taken before jumping to conclusions or before immediate accusation of a person being morally responsible and morally accountable for both desirable and undesirable occurrence. Furthermore, individuals situated in these excusing conditions are reduced or even removed of both their moral responsibility and moral accountability. This is because they have limitations to properly identify what should be done and act on a situation to be able to do every person`s moral responsibility. Individuals are also not held as morally accountable when these excusing conditions are present because of the aforesaid reasons and borders. 2 What is the difference between a stockholder and a stakeholder at the level of a corporation? Please describe any and all possible levels of moral responsibility within the corporation. What does this say about the corporation, that is, at what level is the corporation to be held responsible for its actions: as a moral entity, only in terms of its policy makers, or in terms of any or all of its employees? Stockholders in a corporation or a company are defined as individuals, another corporation or a group of persons who have a share in the corporation or a company. They can be included in the corporation`s voting, decision making, and discussions. Stakeholders are entities or people who are affected by the company operations can have an effect on the company as well. Some examples of stakeholders in a corporation are suppliers, employees, local community, the families of the employees, politicians and customers, and others (DeGeorge). Often times a corporation has insufficient laws to follow and implement. This lack often leads to many undesirable results. Good thing that nowadays more and more people are being aware of the many responsibilities that corporations must do for the benefit not only of the corporation itself, but also for the benefit of all its stockholders and stakeholders. One of the many responsibilities in a corporation is moral responsibility. In general people in a corporation should be morally responsible for their actions and if they make mistakes, harm is done and illegal behavior is committed then the individual or group of individuals who did it is held liable and responsible for it. However, if the same harm towards others and the surroundings is committed and there is no one that is held liable or will pay for the damages and the consequences of this, then the corporation itself will be held accountable (DeGeorge)."A company is held to be morally responsible for their creations and products that are inferior and can have possible injurious direct or side effects to users. This moral responsibility becomes higher if the company has full knowledge of the possible consequences of their products on consumers and they did not do anything to resolve the problem. Worse is when they still continue to manufacture their products. Making sure that the products of a corporation is really of good quality and creating great measures for research and processes to achieve this is included with this responsibility of a corporation. Along with this comes the responsibility towards consumers who purcha...