BUS 343 - Markets and Morals

Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Spring 2015 and alternate years.

Prerequisite: At least junior standing. Preference given by instructor consent to business administration majors or journalism majors with an emphasis in business journalism. Are there some things that should not be exchanged in the market? Is the intrinsic value of certain goods corrupted by its monetary exchange? This course examines these questions from a philosophical perspective. We first examine how markets work, the morality associated with markets, and how the value of a good is defined in the marketplace. We then analyze the role of markets in a democratic, egalitarian society. These examinations help us critically analyze the morality of markets in general and define criteria by which we may evaluate the morality of market exchanges for particular goods, such as blood, body organs, and female reproductive labor. Reiter.