Posted: July 19th, 2023

Ethics and Language  Peer Reviewed Journal

Sandel or Stevenson

Globalization has brought the world closer in communication, economics, politics, and especially business. The Internet and technological improvements have allowed instantaneous communication almost anywhere. The idea of globalism continues to break down cultural barriers, and even psychological and philosophical differences. As this continues it will be essential for organizations to not only understand, but embrace cultural differences and styles. The changing demands of global stakeholders require new ways of approaching our views of human nature, conviviality, and how we look at basic human values across the globe.

One view comes from Michael Sandel, professor of philosophy at Harvard University. In his book, Justice, Sandel argues that humans are by nature set in certain cognitive presumptions that it is impossible to have what John Rawls called a “veil of ignorance.” Instead, as in ties with our family, we are “wired” in making presumptions within the social groups to which we belong. Sandel gives us a stern critique of three ways of thinking about the concept of justice: 1) the utilitarian perspective that tells us justice is whatever action ends up being the greatest good for the greatest number of people; 2) the connection many have between a connection with justice and freedom and implies that only through freedom can a just act occur, and; 3) justice as being inexorably tied to virtue and the pursuit of happiness. Instead, justice is connected to more complex sets of precepts — which Sandel finds in Shakespeare, the Simpsons, Jack Benny, Winnie the Pooh, and even former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment hearings (Sandel, 2009). We find relevance in all these issues on a regular basis, whether we deal with issues in the corporate world, our daily lives, or the expectations we have of our political and social leaders.

Another view, albeit earlier in the 20th century, comes from Charles Stevenson, professor at the University of Michigan from 1946 to 1977 and suggested in an early essay that emotivism tells us that any ethical theory should explain three things; 1) intelligent disagreement may occur over moral issues; 2) moral terms like ‘good’ or ‘evil’ actually encourage that action, and; 3) that the scientific method is not sufficient for verifying any moral issue. Ethical statements express the speaker’s feelings, and are actually more than statements of action, but instead statements of proper behavior. For instance, if someone asks us to close the door, there is an implication that there is something wrong; but the reason behind closing the door may have a myriad of other issues (temperature, privacy, power, etc.) (Stevenson, 1972). Certainly, in a world in which moral ambiguity is commonplace, a framework or reference for moral analysis is relevant and necessary — particularly as we begin to include concepts from other societies.

Clearly, Sandel is more readable for the modern audience. Despite dealing with some very serious topics, he does so in a manner that is approachable for the lay reader. His greatest gift, though, is making the complex issues of philosophy (e.g. metaphysics, communitarianism, existentialism, etc.) relevant to issues that are current and impact our lives. For example, humans have debated the concept of right motives since before Aristotle. Aristotle’s concept of justice and relationship to teleology, though, can be quite complex. Sandel uses the children’s classic Winnie the Pooh to illustrate that it was justice to get the honey. Pooh had no realization that the bees might need or want the honey, or that other creatures might have a claim on it as food, just as he did. Instead, Pooh believes that the honey is there “And the only reason [he] knows of it is so he can eat it.” Now clearly, Pooh is not evil, but Sandel helps us understand that it is the perception that also governs the outcome.

The modern world is awash in issues surrounding utilitarianism (the greatest good for the greatest number of an action and its results) and/or deontology (it is the action that sets the moral tone, not the result). This makes Sandel quite relevant to the contemporary audience for, like his example of a Stradivarius sitting in a museum to be admired; it does no good to anyone to have ideas or instruments on display unless they are going to be used by people. In this case, Sandel’s book would be used, discussed, and be more utilitarian, than Stevenson; not to take away from the importance of Stevenson’s debate.

Finally, one other reason that Sandel should be a robust part of any undergraduate curriculum is that he asks us to look at ideas using a critical approach. This view tells us to process information in an analytical manner, bring past knowledge and outside materials to bear, and use a process to not accept the status quo, but to delve deeper into the meaning of ideas and events. This approach is certainly not easy, but does offer one more satisfaction in a daily philosophical journey through life.

Ruthless Overlords of Silicon Valley

Globalization

According to the article “The ruthless overlords of Silicon Valley,” the corporate founders of the new digital age have tried to present themselves as benign leaders, more devoted to intellectual excellence and social good, rather than the ruthless pursuit of profits. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said this directly: “simply put: we don’t build services to make money; we make money to build better services” (The ruthless overlords of Silicon Valley, 2012, Newsweek). However, the authors of this Newsweek editorial state that this rhetoric is a facade for the actual agenda of organizations such as Google, Apple, Zynga and Facebook. The authors term these new Internet companies as just as unregulated and powerful in their influence over our lives as the robber barons of old. As an example of their profit-focused initiatives, Apple is taken to task for “systematically outsourcing the assembly of iPhones and other gadgets to contract manufacturers like China’s Foxconn, [so] Apple has shaved its overall cost of production and plumped profit margins for shareholders” (The ruthless overlords of Silicon Valley, 2012, Newsweek). The authors also critique the muscle that Google and other companies used in stopping SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act, which could have shut down websites if the sites were accused of having pirated content. However, given the sweeping and vague nature of the bill, faulting Silicon Valley for opposing the bill hardly seems fair. According to SOPA, “if an intellectual property rightsholder thinks a site is ‘promoting’ infringement, that party can go to court to seek an order forcing payment processors and ad services to choke off financial support to the site” even before a trial (McSherry 2012).

Throughout the article, the authors fault the companies for trying to make a profit. “Tellingly, big profit-driven sites like Google expressed sympathy but didn’t go dark [protesting SOPA] — while the notably nonprofit Wikipedia, which had no revenues to lose, did switch off in protest” (The ruthless overlords of Silicon Valley, 2012, Newsweek). If Google and Facebook did not make a profit, users could not enjoy their services. Is trying to merge the social good of spreading information across the globe and making the world smaller while still sustaining the profits of shareholders to be faulted? A more legitimate critique is the potential impingement of privacy of some users. However, the most egregious violation cited in the article is one made by the major tech companies, but a small start-up called Path.com which was “uploading users’ entire contact databases to its servers without permission” (The ruthless overlords of Silicon Valley, 2012, Newsweek).

The Newsweek authors also fault Silicon Valley companies for retaining a high degree of control over their ventures, or segregating “investors into the stock-market equivalent of first- and second-class citizens” which, in the case of Facebook means that Zuckerberg’s share carry “10 times the voting power of the stock being sold to the public” (The ruthless overlords of Silicon Valley, 2012, Newsweek). But this is not necessarily a bad thing, given that more control may mean that the company is better able to remain true to its original ideals. Being profitable and socially responsible is not necessarily incompatible, which the authors seem to assume.

The 7C’s of the business world is defined as being concrete, clear, complete, correct, concise, considerate, and courteous. The companies cited in the article are certainly not without fault in upholding these tenants, but they have never denied the fact they are for-profit entities. And by lumping all Silicon Valley companies into one entity, the article commits more faults than the specific organizations it criticizes by creating a ‘straw man’ against which he argues. Furthermore, Mike Daisey’s expose of Apple facilities has been completely debunked, and necessitated a retraction from NPR (Peralta 2012). Not only the major corporate players opposed SOPA, but many free speech advocates as well, and its major supporter was Hollywood, which wished to preserve its own economic interests. Although the companies cited in the article are major profit-making entities, they have also had a clear social role in making the world smaller and facilitating the free flow of information. The recent Arab spring was called a ‘Twitter’ and ‘Facebook’ revolution,’ after all, which is testimony to the democracy fostered by online communication and which was facilitated by the free and open exchange promoted by Silicon Valley companies.

References

Characteristics of effective communication: 7Cs. (2008). MBA Notes. Retrieved:

http://www.mbanotesworld.in/2008/01/characteristic-of-effective.html

McSherry, Corinne. (2012). Proposed ‘anti-piracy’ legislation dangerous and unconstitutional.

US News & World Report. Retrieved: http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-congress-pass-anti-online-piracy-legislation/proposed-anti-piracy-legislation-dangerous-and-unconstitutional

Peralta, Eyder. (2012). This American Life retracts Mike Daisey’s Apple Factory Story. NPR.

Retrieved: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/03/16/148761812/this-american-life-retracts-mike-daiseys-apple-factory-story

The ruthless overlords of Silicon Valley. (2012). Newsweek. Retrieved:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/03/11/the-robber-barons-of-silicon-valley.html

Sandel, C. (2010). Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? New York: Farar, Straus and Giroux.

Stevenson, C. (1972). Ethics and Language. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

---

Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply

Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?

Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.

Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?

• Plagiarism free papers
• Timely delivery
• Any deadline
• Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
• Subject-relevant academic writer
• Adherence to paper instructions
• Ability to tackle bulk assignments
• Reasonable prices
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Get superb grades consistently

 

Online Academic Help With Different Subjects

Literature

Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.

Finance

Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.

Computer science

Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!

Psychology

While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.

Engineering

Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.

Nursing

In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.

Sociology

Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.

Business

We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!

Statistics

We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.

Law

Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.

What discipline/subjects do you deal in?

We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.

Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?

Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.

What if I don’t like the paper?

There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.

Reasons being:

• When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
• We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.

In the event that you don’t like your paper:

• The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
• We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
• Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.

Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?

Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.

What if the paper is plagiarized?

We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.

When will I get my paper?

You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.

Will anyone find out that I used your services?

We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.

How our Assignment  Help Service Works

1.      Place an order

You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.

2.      Pay for the order

Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.

3.      Track the progress

You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.

4.      Download the paper

The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.

PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY AND GET A PERFECT SCORE!!!

---