HOMEWORK HELP | PHI 445 Week 4 Discussion 1

This discussion assignment   requires you to submit at least four posts: an initial post, two reply posts   to fellow students in threads other than your own, and a revised post.

Prepare: In preparation for your first post in this discussion,   you will become familiar with the case of Perdue Farms by means of the   material listed under Required Resources (Generally). You will also find more   material under Required Resources (Per Subject Heading) because the specific   task for this discussion is to examine this case with an eye for any one of   the following four subject headings in business ethics: (1) the environment,   (2) advertising, (3) consumer safety and (4) moral responsibility. You must select   one of these subject headings and your selection will be the specific focus   of your work for your discussion. Accordingly, you will be responsible to   complete the readings and videos listed under your chosen subject heading.

Reflect: If you choose the environment subject heading, reflect on   the sheer density of chickens raised at any given time in the Perdue   facilities. The disposal of their discarded remains and their processing for   distribution, either individually and most definitely together, pose a number   of environmental concerns.

If you choose the advertising   subject heading, reflect on how the two videos on Perdue farms present the   sharp contrast between the way the company presents its product and the way   in which it has been discovered to run its chicken farms. Consider whether   this is an example of failure to provide truth in advertising and how you   would support such a stance.

If you choose the consumer safety   subject heading, reflect on the way in which chickens raised in factory farms   risks consumer safety. These might include (a) bacterial contamination, (b)   the effects of antibiotics on the meat that is consumed, or (c) the release   of adrenaline, cortisone, and other chemicals resulting from the acute stress   endured by factory farm animals, which then becomes part of the meat that is   later consumed by humans.

If you choose the moral   responsibility heading, reflect on the stewardship role that may fall upon   humans toward non-human animals. Can we utilize them as mere means to an end   (for entertainment, companionship, or food)? Or do we have special   obligations toward them (e.g., not to mistreat or torture them and to   slaughter them quickly and without stress) because they are sentient beings?

Once you have completed the   indicated readings and videos, reflect on the ethical theories that we have   covered in the discussions thus far and identify one that you want to apply   for your analysis in your discussion post.

Also, reflect on the regulations   (or lack thereof) in the factory farming industry in order to be able to   examine how our nation’s laws affect the operations of the business. You   will need to research the applicable laws on the factory farming industry.

Finally, since Perdue Farms is an   American corporation, reflect on the mixed economic system in the United   States in order to articulate the setting for the operations of factory   farming, and then, be able to analyze the ethical actions of Perdue given   this setting.

Write: In the first part of your initial post, you will need to   introduce the Perdue case within the particular subject heading that you have   chosen. In this introduction, you will also need to (1) articulate the   relevant characteristics of our mixed economic system and (2) present the   regulations for the factory farming industry. These will provide the setting   for you to be able to examine how the nation’s laws affect its operations.

In the second part of your initial   post, present your analysis of the problem in a way that identifies which   entities (Perdue as a corporation, the economic system in the USA, the   regulatory control of the state, or all of these) have a role in the problem   that you have presented. In your analysis, you must assess the negative   effects of the interplay between business activity and one of the following:   the environment, advertising, consumer safety, or corporate social   responsibility. Your focus must be an ethical analysis of this interplay, and   it must be well supported by reliable and/or scholarly sources by clearly   identifying the ethical theory that you are applying in your analysis.

Revise: Read the feedback provided by your professor to your   initial post, either directly to you or to your fellow students. Use this as   an opportunity to learn from your professor, especially with regard to the   best ways to apply the course material and your research to your analysis. On   the basis of what you have learned in this process, post an improved revision   of your initial post that applies the additional knowledge that you have   gained.

Remember that your grade depends   on the quality of your initial and revised responses, not just on the   submission of an attempt at improvement. It is thus to your advantage to post   the best initial post you can and then to also improve that best effort as much   as you can through revision. Taking this process seriously will help you   develop the skills you need to do well on the Final Project.

Requirements for Your Initial   Post:

• Your initial post should be        at least 400 words in length and have citations and references in APA        notation. It should address the prompt in its entirety. This means        that you should not split your response to the prompt in multiple posts.        Your examination should be both thorough and succinct. This is a        combination that demands time and thought, so give yourself sufficient        time to draft and revise.
• Please be advised that until        you post, you will not see what your fellow students are posting. Once        you submit your post, you will be able to view the posts from your other        classmates. You can then proceed to reply to at least two different        threads based on the required material for this discussion.
• Your list of references for        your initial post should include the videos and the other required        reading material for this discussion, the Instructor Guidance, and any        other announcements presented to you by your professor. List all the        course material that informed your work in the list of references and        cite these too where appropriate. In addition, your references should        include any other sources that you consult to inform yourself (but not        Wikipedia or similar sources).
• Your initial post for this        discussion should be submitted no later than the end of Thursday        (11:59 pm, U.S. Mountain time).

Requirements for Replies to Other   Threads:

• At least two of the four        posts required should be in the form of replies to fellow classmates in        threads other than your own.
• Each of your replies should        be at least 200 words and informed by the course material. As        such, the replies must have citations and references in APA notation.        Your list of references for each reply should include all of the course        material that has informed your reply, in addition to any research that        you have obtained on your own.
• Your replies should focus on        the specific examination presented by your fellow student, and these        should include an examination of whether or not the characteristics of        the ethical theory and/or economic system were identified well, and        whether or not their application and analysis was also carried out        successfully. Providing such an examination is not an attack on your        fellow student but an attempt to work together with your fellow student        toward the better understanding of the ethical theories employed, as        well as their application.

Requirements for Revising   Your Initial Post:

• Submit a revision of your        initial post by either replying to your own post, or to the feedback        provided to you by your professor.
• There is no minimum word        requirement for your revised initial post. But you should always explain        the reasons for revising your post so that it is clear what you are        doing. If you are revising only a few words, or an ethical theory, you        should not just submit a post with vague language such as: “duty ethics        works better here” or “I did not consider the economic system.” It is        important to recognize that no one can read your mind so you need to        provide the setting for your revision (Why? What prompted it? What        course material informed you?) , and it is important to write in clear        language and complete sentences.
• Your revised initial post is        your chance to correct any oversights or errors in your initial post, or        show your improved understanding of the material and its applications to        the case at hand. You may, for example, come to the realization that        another ethical theory is better than the one that you initially chose.        Accordingly, your revision should indicate that you chose another        ethical theory and an explanation why you find the replacement more        suitable. You may also find the need to revise any relevant portions of        your analysis. Or, you might have realized that your conclusion did not        take into account important factors necessary for your evaluation of the        situation.
• You should maximize the        improvement of your initial post by employing your professor’s feedback        as a guide. Keep in mind that you may        not always receive direct feedback from your professor. But your        professor will have submitted feedback in the discussion to other posts.        So read your professor’s feedback whether it is addressed to you        directlyor to other fellow students. This will give you much to think        about and apply to your own post.
• If your professor or a fellow        classmate responds to your revised initial post, and on this basis, you        find good reason to submit yet another revision, then by all means do        so. The more you improve your initial post, the more you will benefit        both in terms of your learning and most likely your grade.