What is the relationship between the ethical obligation of honesty and truth telling?
Your best friend is from another country. One day after a particularly stimulating lecture on the meaning of ethics by your instructor, you and your friend disagree about whether culture plays a role in ethical behavior. You state that good ethics are good ethics, and it doesn’t matter where you live and work. Your friend tells you that in her country, it is common to pay bribes to gain favor with important people. Comment on both positions from a relativistic ethics point of view. What do you believe and why?
9. Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions in Exhibit 1.2 indicate that China has a score of only 30 in Uncertainty Avoidance, while the U.S. score is 46. Does this seem counterintuitive to you? Why or why not? Be sure to include an explanation of why China’s score is relatively low compared to the United States
10. a. What is the relationship between the ethical obligation of honesty and truth telling?
b. Is it ever proper to not tell someone something that he or she has an expectation of knowing? If so, describe under what circumstances this might be the case. How does this square with rights theory?
11. Is there a difference between cheating on a math test, lying about your age to purchase a cheaper ticket at a movie theater, and using someone else’s ID to get a drink at a bar?
12. Assume that you have been hired by the head of a tobacco industry group to do a cost–benefit analysis of whether the tobacco firms should disclose that nicotine is addictive. Assume that this is before the federal government required such disclosure on all packages of cigarettes. Explain how you would go about determining what are the potential harms and potential benefits of dis- closing this information voluntarily. Is there any information that you believe cannot be included in the evaluation? What is it? Why can’t you include it? If you could include it, would it affect your recommendation to the head of the industry group? Analyze the situation from a rights per- spective, justice, and virtue theory. How might these considerations affect your recommendation to the head of the industry group?