Exercise 5: Decision-Making. Almost daily we are faced with decisions that have a moral or ethical character. Consider the following example and decide what the most ethical course of action is.

What should we do when bad money supports good causes? If, for instance, organized crime offered the Scouts a million dollars, should the Scouts take the money? Should they publicize it or keep it secret? This scenario may seem far-fetched, but it really isn’t. Although tobacco companies are not the same as organized crime, their products contribute to more than 440,000 deaths a year, to say nothing of the suffering inflicted on surviving family members.

Yet, tobacco companies support good causes. Consider:

■ Many sporting events are sponsored by tobacco companies and some would argue that women’s tennis would never have become a high-profile, high-paying sport were it not for the support of companies such as Virginia Slims.

■ Tobacco companies support political candidates and give Democrats and Republicans alike large amounts of money for their campaigns.

■ The Partnership for a Drug-Free America receives large financial support from the tobacco industry, enabling it to get its message and programs across.

■ Tobacco money also supports the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP, the Urban League, the National Women’s Political Caucus, and the Poetry Society of America.

Beyond that, tobacco money supports many different children’s charities, environmental groups, and even some health organizations.

There are many more examples. The problem is that money is tight and budgets are being cut and when the tobacco industry offers to help, then good programs survive and flourish. But is there a larger issue at stake? For instance, the Coalition for the Homeless no longer takes money from the tobacco industry because of its source. Amnesty International USA no longer takes money from the industry. Yet, the ACLU has no difficulty taking money from the industry because it allows the organization to survive and do good work to help people.

And the tobacco industry is only one example. There are many other instances of foreign industries and organizations supporting specific candidates for office in the United States. Is there a problem when bad money allows good organizations to be effective?

Consider the following issues:

1. What are the ethical considerations inherent in bad money supporting good causes?

2. Formulate an argument on both sides of the issue. Why is it all right to take the money, and why should we reject the money?

3. Considering all the information you have been presented, should “good causes” take the money?

4. Do cultural considerations play a role in the decision to take the money or not?

5. In general, are there some basic ethical guidelines that might help us decide when to accept money and when not to? What might these criteria be?

1++ Exercise 6: Identities. In 1996, Playboy Magazine published an article titled “Playboy’s College Sex Survey.” In the article, the magazine reported the sex habits of college students based on a survey that had been given to college students across the United States. Playboy distributed the survey to university professors who then distributed them in class. The students were not aware of the source of the survey—they did not know that it came from Playboy.
When the article was published, none of the students were named. However, the article did identify student gender, age, and university. Several of the students were upset and believed that it was possible to identify them based on the information in the article. They said they wished they had known who it was for and how the data was going to be used. Many had assumed it was only for a class project and had no idea it would ever be published. Playboy countered that it wanted to have as objective a survey as possible and therefore had chosen to keep its name secret as the source of the survey. Besides, none of the students were identified.
Who is ethically right? Who is wrong? Explain