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From CLASnotes, V 14 No 4
 Applying Ethics
UF Center examines business and professional standards
An interview with Robert Baum
UF's Center for Applied Philosophy and Ethics celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Robert Baum, the Center's director for the last 19 years, and a pioneer in the field of applied ethics, is also the editor of the Business and Professional Ethics Journal and Professional Ethics: A Multidisciplinary Journal.
Cn: How does the Center for Applied Philosophy and Ethics interact with other departments in CLAS and across campus?
RB: The Center's mission is to facilitate research and discussion in the areas of business and professional ethics. This field covers a broad range of disciplines, such as engineering, journalism, urban planning and medicine, to name just a few. So in addition to publishing journals, organizing conferences, and offering classes when appropriate, we are also interested in bringing together the rather large number of faculty who are already teaching ethics-related courses across the varied disciplines. We want to act as a resource so that these people can share their knowledge and teaching techniques with one another.
Cn: What types of classes do you offer?
RB: A few years ago we offered an experimental course on financial ethics. The Philosophy Department has added two new faculty members this year who specialize in ethical theory, so I hope we'll be able to offer a new version of that course in the near future. Also, this semester we are offering a course on scientific research ethics.
Cn: How did this new ethics class come about?
RB: An undergraduate student came to see me; she was looking for answers to ethical questions that arise in scientific research. When she indicated that a large number of her fellow students were interested in these questions, we discussed the situation with representatives of the physical science departments. With support from the College Office, we decided to offer an experimental one-credit course (IDS 4930--Ethics in Scientific Research). We had more than thirty students sign up for it on the day it became available. I am co-teaching the class with Jonathan Reiskind from the Zoology Department, and we've had a number of guest speakers from various departments in CLAS, including Dean Sullivan (Physics) and Marta Wayne (Zoology).
Cn: Does student interest in professional ethics reflect wider concerns about professional ethics?
RB: There is a steady, growing interest in this field. I can remember when I set up the ethics program at the National Science Foundation in the mid-70s. Many administrators there were concerned that applied ethics was a passing fad, but that hasn't turned out to be the case. There was no huge splash where everybody got involved for a year or two and then moved on. Instead, interest has gradually increased since that time, with the number of courses and textbooks increasing steadily.
Cn: Why is that?
RB: There has been research on the sociology of professions going back for 100 years, but with the exception of the medical field, people who studied normative ethics did not pay attention to most of the professions. When the medical community was faced with breakthroughs such as organ transplants in the 1960s, they had to update and revise their ethical standards. Today's incredibly complex circumstances in business and most of the professional fields also require that we increase our understanding in order to deal with these problems in an ethically responsible way. Entirely new situations and modern problems have developed in the last 20 to 30 years, and while most people hear only about the professionals who do not act ethically, it's just as important to identify what actions are ethical. We have to ask "What are the good things that can be done by a person who has certain expertise, professional training, and ability?"
Cn: How do business and professional ethics compare to medical ethics?
RB: The actions of most professionals have considerable moral significance. Engineers who cut corners or lawyers who do not prepare adequately for the defense in a capital punishment case can be responsible for the loss of innocent lives. Professionals in various financial fields can have as much of an impact on the general well-being of people as any healthcare providers. For example, if a person invests in a life insurance policy or IRA for his or her retirement, and the financial company does not fulfill its responsibilities, the investor can lose money. Without these funds, a retired person may be unable to afford adequate medical care or a good diet. On the other hand, if the financial management is handled in an ethically responsible way, this produces great benefit--just like good health care.
Cn: What are the Center's future plans?
RB: We are completing plans for conferences in medical ethics (with the College of Medicine) and finance ethics (with the College of Business Administration). The Center will also be hosting the 3rd National Conference on Ethics across the Curriculum in 2001.
--John Elderkin
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