Case of the Sole Remaining Supplier

Running Head: CASE OF THE SOLE REMAINING SUPPLIER

Trident University International

Business Ethics 501

Module 2 – Case Assignment

Anita T. Moore

7 November 2011

Professor: Dr. Bonnie L. Adams

Practical Reasoning

What is right or wrong? In Utilitarianism, actions are right in proportion as it tend to

promote happiness, wrong as it tend to produce unhappiness. Utilitarianism allows for degrees

of right and wrong and for every situation the choice between actions is clear cut by always

choosing the greatest utility. As most clearly stated by Mill, a British philosopher, the basic

principle of utilitarianism is actions are right to the degree that they tend to promote the greatest

good for the greatest number. Pacemakers are among the most clinically important and

technically complex medical devices in use today, but several recent high-profile devices

malfunctions have called into question their safety and reliability.

Utility Test Introduction

The first part of this test is to introduce the test by asking “Are we maximizing good and

minimizing harm for all those affected?” The normal, healthy heart has its own pacemaker that

regulates the rate that the heart beats. However, some hearts don't beat regularly. Often a

pacemaker can correct the problem. Pacemakers may be necessary when abnormal heart

rhythms are diagnosed. Pacemakers are used to treat the following conditions: bradyarrythmias,

syncope, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, bundle branch blocks, and

cardiac dysrythmias. The “good” of the pacemaker is to save lives. Pacemakers are devices that

have saved many lives. But, like any other complex device, they can and do malfunction. The

“bad” of the pacemaker are procedure risks in regards to infection and making lifestyle

adjustments to prevent mishaps that are controllable by the...