11.19.2007: This class is no longer offered.

Welcome to the home page for Ethics, Integrity and Society.  This course will introduce students to the role that ethics plays in life – including our professional lives. The approach used in this class will differ from the approach used in most business ethics classes. It is based on my belief that if we want you to go out into the world and make “good” or “ethical” decisions, a foundation in "who you are" must be laid. Thus, the starting point for understanding what ethics means to each of you is the question “Who am I?” This course draws on work that has been done to help people discover who they are.

We will also look at the importance of integrity and trust in the business world. Trust is important in understanding how the public perceives the business world. Over the last decade the trust that the public holds in all institutions has been eroded. The decade has seen protests, exposés and unfolding accounting scandals. This erosion of trust has significant business costs. At the same time ethical behavior and a concern for people and the environment have been shown to have a positive correlation with corporate performance. The subject of corporate social responsibility is therefore a relevant one for business.

This class has been placed on this broader web site because I believe that many sustainability considerations are also ethical considerations; considerations that go to the values we each hold. I hope that you glance through the other resources that are available on this site, and if you have any recommendations for additional resources, please let me know.