Abstract
This paper discusses the Enron Corporation scandal and assesses behaviors within the context of ethical principles. The author points out Enron's deceptive practices in the trading of energy market. The paper applies the views of Mill, Aristotle and Kant to Enron activities.

From the Paper
"Over a span of several years, high-level executives at the Enron Corporation, essentially an energy distribution form, engaged in a complex set of financially-oriented behaviors designed to deceive customers, government ..."

Tags:Values, Enron

Ethics, Mill, Aristotle, Kant

Aristotle

J. S. Mill

Kant

Enron

Abstract
This paper contends that there is a close interconnection and relationship between the areas of personal, cultural, and organizational values and decision-making. The paper explains that decision-making is based on personal values, which are influenced and impacted by cultural values, ethical systems, and other cardinal aspects. Organizational values, which are often influenced by cultural values in a society, are very important, especially with regard to the decision-making process in the lives of professionals.

From the Paper
"Both the military and law enforcement share a strict hierarchical and very rational process of decision making. They have an essentially logical and shared decision making process, which takes into account the greater good of all and not merely personal needs or desires. The important aspect of all organizations is that they usually have a set of rules and ethics intended to control and direct personal values. This is particularly the case in an institution like the military, where the good of the organization supersedes the needs and wishes of the individual."

Tags:organizations, rational, individual

Abstract
The paper discusses the argument that has sent the world into a tailspin as to whether or not people suffering from terminal or excruciatingly painful illness have the right to take their own lives by way of physician-assisted suicide. It shows that proponents contend that what one does with one's life is of no consequence to anyone else -- that it is humane to allow someone to be relieved of constant " if not unbearable " discomfort. On the other hand, critics claim that the act of euthanasia is nothing more than a fabricated form of murder. The paper shows that both sides have pertinent points when it comes to understanding and assessing the conflict, but argues that euthanasia supporters have a significantly stronger argument when considering the bigger picture. The general argumentative point of this paper is that physician-assisted suicide is not only the right thing to do for someone seeking such a decision, but it is ethical and humane for a physician to abide by the patient's wish.

From the Paper
"The primary focus of conflict with regard to physician-assisted suicide is whether or not it is ethically sound. To determine what is ethically sound, however, one must first define the meaning of ethics. This may appear rather simple to achieve on the outset, but one would soon find that defining such a concept is an extremely personal interpretation. There is no black and white definition of ethics, because each and every person subscribes to his or her own value system; therefore, placing a blanket definition upon the ethical implications of physician-assisted suicide is no different than doing the same with religion or politics: one size does not fit all. To ascertain the ethical nature of euthanasia is to find out what it means to the person requesting the procedure. One will find that to these people, who have suffered terribly at the hands of debilitating and terminal illnesses, the ethical attributes of physician-assisted suicide are far more forgiving than to those who stand by and ignorantly criticize."

Tags:legalization, life, quality, values

Abstract
In the philosophy of law, two competing factions each offer compelling arguments as to the basic nature, origin, authority and responsibility of law. These two theories are known as Natural Law Theory and Legal Positivism. This paper shows that while there are many disagreements between the two theories, at the heart of the argument is the questionable relationship between law and morality. The paper examines how Natural Law Theorists argue that there is an essential and innate overlap between law and morality, while Legal Positivists argue that while the decisions of law and morality do occasionally overlap, there is no natural relationship between them.

From the Paper
"Legal Positivists rely on a sovereign to legislate law; this sovereign,
whether it be a monarch, an aristocracy, an elected parliament, or any other person or body that writes the law for a society. For a sovereign to be considered as such, most, if not all, of the population must follow the sovereign's laws, and there must be a threat of force to enforce the law. If either of these conditions are not met, the leader cannot claim to be a true sovereign entity. Also, the sovereign cannot be subject to another sovereign's authority, such as God; if a sovereign is to be the head of a society and the maker of laws, she must be invulnerable to persuasion or else she is not a sovereign."

Tags:Judeo-Christian, John, Stuart, Mill, Jeremy, Bentham, Hobbes

Abstract
This essay defines the moral issue of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide and engages in a spirited discussion of why euthanasia is a huge mistake for our society, focusing on the threat to women, minorities, and the disabled in America that physician-assisted suicide presents.

From the Paper
"They include an incompatibility with the moral and professional commitment of physicians, a weakening of society's desire to provide optimal care for the terminally ill, increased societal pressure on sick patients to request assisted suicide, and most importantly, possible abuses and extensions of euthanasia which may lead down the "slippery slope" to Nazism and selective genocide."

Tags:ethics, euthanasia, medicine, philosophy, suicide

Abstract
A discussion of personal ethics and how experiences with other individuals, in addition to our basic personal values, shape the groundwork for ethical personal decision making. Major ethical approaches are looked at in detail, and ground rules for ethical decision making are discussed.

From the Paper
"An ethically defensible decision includes a number of important elements. Most crucial are the ground rules that underlie such a decision. These can include informal ground rules like religious faith, family values, personal experiences, and the personality of the individual. However, more formalized ground rules that are usually steeped in the philosophy of ethics may prove to be much more useful for making ethically defensible decisions. For example, a decision to allow a request for doctor- assisted suicide is ethically defensible using Kant's Categorical Imperative.

In recent years, the impact of ethical debacles like Enron and WorldCom in the business world have resulted in renewed discussions of ethical decision making in both the personal and business spheres. Clearly, Enron and WorldCom represented some of the most extreme examples of "ethically challenged" decisions, yet they clearly represent a need for a better understanding of ethics in decision making."

Tags:Rule, John, Stuart, Mill, Preference, utilitarianism, Kant, Categorical, Imperative

Abstract
Nietzsche's philosophy is as misunderstood as it is prestigious. This paper traces Nietzsche's steps carefully, to find where his conception of both the apocolyptic "last man" and the glorious "overman" spring from. This is accomplished through an analytic investigation of Nietzsche's reaction to Utilitarianism, touching on the ascetic ideal, transcendence, ressentiment, slave and master moralities, bad conscience and Nietzsche's "value-judgement" epistemology.

From the Paper
"It is no secret that Nietzsche's primary goal in his philosophy was to allow for a revaluation of all values. This was not a task Nietzsche took lightly, and even a quick skim through his works reveal the depth of Nietzsche's critique of alternate moral systems, with their binary oppositions of good and evil. One such system was Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism had its strongest support within Britain, and Nietzsche's criticism came from three main perspectives. 1) That Utilitarianism was equivalent to a negation of life and as such, 2) that Utilitarianism provided a poor "instruction manual" to interpreting human history. Finally, Nietzsche amalgamates these two perspectives into 3) an argument that Utilitarianism is a subversion of mankind in general, and as such it, and theories of its type, is leading to a Dystopian state of affairs for the end of history or Nietzsche's "last man". Following from this examination of Utilitarianism, we will direct our attention to Nietzsche's more general critique of antithetical moral values. What is unusual about this critique is the constant focus Nietzsche holds for cultural relevance; Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil is subtitled "Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future". The critique of antithetical values, ascetic ideals and slave moralities is not a conceptual hill to climb; it is the very issue that will decide the future of mankind. This fascinating and innovative interpretation poses a challenge to "modern sensibility"; as Nietzsche suggests an alternative moral paradigm and attitude towards existence that must be explored. Therefore, to conclude the essay, I will discuss Nietzsche's response to Utilitarianism (and Platonic/Christian thought) in the context of Nietzsche's positive morality, "Beyond Good and Evil"."

Tags:philosophy, self, psychology, value, judge, man

Abstract
This paper looks at various arguments against human cloning including how human reproduction needs a connection between males and females; how it is 'playing God'; the affects on identity; and the dangers of 'designer babies'. The writer concludes that cloning is just like any other innovation ans should be taken forward, all be it carefully.

From the Paper
"The arguments against human cloning that this paper will look at fall into the two categories. 1) That the negative consequences of cloning humans outweigh the benefits and/or 2) That human cloning is somehow inherently wrong. This essay will look at various arguments against human cloning including: the idea that human reproduction needs a connection between male and female' the cloning of humans is 'playing God', cloning humans will affect our identity as humans, (particularly any cloned humans) and lastly that it introduces the dangers of 'designer babies' and a grand Eugenic design. My response attempts to be from a Christian perspective informed by arguments derived from current science."

Tags:baby, consequential, designer, eugenic, fatalism, god, playing, selection, versus, voluntarism

Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that it is generally accepted that the primary purpose of disciplinary proceedings regarding the conduct of professionals is not so much to punish the professional, as it is to protect the public. The writer points out that it is the intention of such proceedings to remove a perceived threat to public interest and public confidence in the profession. The basis for this rationale is the assumption that the public needs to be protected from the unscrupulous, and those incompetent and ignorant of the basic requirements of their profession. The writer looks at the current system in Australia and maintains that the present framework serves the basic needs of all stakeholders in an adequate manner, but that a better framework could be established, which more fairly caters to the needs of the other stakeholders. The writer concludes that even if the present framework is not substantially altered, improvements, such as allowing any third party to submit complaints, would help to improve the efficiency in which compliance by attorneys is monitored.

From the Paper
"The enforceability of the Institute's Code of Ethics is based on contractual obligations rather than legislatively conferred power, and a breach of the Institute's Code of Ethics may result in revocation of membership. Compliance with the Institute's Code of Ethics is monitored by way of complaints being submitted.
"The framework provided by the Institute's Code of Ethics appears, however, to add little to the framework already in existence as provided by the Board and the Tribunal. The enforceability of the Code of Ethics, the efficiency in which compliance with the Code of Ethics is monitored, and the sanctions imposable upon a breach of the Code of Ethics appear no more effective than those already provided by the Code of Conduct prescribed by the Regulations and the Board."

Tags:legislation, unprofessional, conduct, codes

Abstract
This paper begins by distinguishing between the two theories: Deontological approaches have, as the overarching "one" a norm or norms by which we live. Consequentialist ethics, in judging acts, rests on a controlling factor, such as agape love, the greatest good for the greatest number or increasing the total pleasure of man. Both approaches have strengths and weaknesses such as the danger of "I was just following the rules" in the deontological approach and consequentialism's main weaknesses of measurement; something such as love being indefinable Though they are different, they both lack from being isolated from the other and the more existential and community based ethical systems.

From the Paper
"A deontological approach to ethics is self-justified and intrinsically grounded. Its reference point is a norm or authority or being against which or who there is no argument (Gill P.5). In contrast, the consequentialist approach looks at the end product of a rule or act. The consequences are measured against a certain standard or goal in order to determine if they are desirable. For instance murder is wrong because society would break down if it weren't treated that way (P.7). They both have certain deficiencies that outweigh their strengths if they are used in isolation. They need to be informed by one another and by a third dimension, which could be called the existentialist. Only then do they make a useful organic whole."

Tags:utilitarianism, strength, weak