Racism in Business

Paper Summary:

This paper uses the utilitarian and value judgment theories to examine the ethical nature of racism in business. The first part of the paper evaluates how these two ethical traditions would view racism. In the second part, the paper looks at the various methods for addressing racism in American business, focusing on diversity training and affirmative action. It then evaluates the rightness of these programs, both from a utilitarian and a values-based ethics. In the conclusion, the paper argues for a combination of diversity training and goals-oriented affirmative action as an ethical way to address the pervasive problem of racism in American businesses.

From the Paper:

"In the second chapter of Utilitarianism, Mill explained how the principle of utility should prioritize the results or consequences of an action over the motives of the actor or agent. This formulation refutes most of the classical theories on morality that preceded Mill. According to utilitarian philosophy, a person may appear morally good because he or she acts based on good intentions. However, the action is separate from the worth of the actor or agent. Thus, a morally good person may still be capable of actions that cause others a great deal of harm (Mill 1987). Mill's utilitarian philosophy would thus judge this person's actions as wrong despite the agent's good motives."

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