http://kenan.ethics.duke.edu/teamkenan/islave/ Sun, 10 Feb 2013 23:18:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 http://kenan.ethics.duke.edu/teamkenan/islave/#comment-81 Leonard Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:50:52 +0000 http://www.teamkenan.org/?p=1744#comment-81 http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/46daff92-57f8-11e1-ae89-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1mZNUsmCK Well, I would want to imagine that to some extent, one company can be held morally responsible if it drives another company into doing actions it wouldn't have done without the pressure. But this is no way to say that Foxconn is the victim here! http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/46daff92-57f8-11e1-ae89-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1mZNUsmCK
Well, I would want to imagine that to some extent, one company can be held morally responsible if it drives another company into doing actions it wouldn’t have done without the pressure. But this is no way to say that Foxconn is the victim here!

]]> http://kenan.ethics.duke.edu/teamkenan/islave/#comment-80 Nihir Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:45:10 +0000 http://www.teamkenan.org/?p=1744#comment-80 I think you make a great argument here Leonard. However, I wanted to bring up some points as well. First, nearly every major electronics manufacturer, including the likes of Microsoft, Intel, HP, and Vizio, have their electronic components manufactured by Foxconn. Thus, this is not just a problem that concerns Apple, but the entire electronics industry. Second, we have to recognize that while companies are and should be held responsible for who they do business with, they can't be held responsible for the problems with those companies. Take the Bechtel Corporation of San Francisco, a global engineering firm. In the late 1990s, the firm gained partial water rights to Bolivia's third largest city, resulting in extremely high water prices for the citizens. Were Bechtel's actions wrong? Probably. Was it wrong for other companies to contract with Bechtel? Maybe. But instances like these become very difficult for companies like Apple to deal with, because of the relationship that they have with companies like Foxconn (trade secrets, etc) and the small number of electronics manufacturing corporations in the world that have the ability to produce such a large number of products. Finally, we as a society have to realize that while these violations of human rights are taking place, there are many such instances across a variety of different sectors, for example palm oil. I think you make a great argument here Leonard. However, I wanted to bring up some points as well. First, nearly every major electronics manufacturer, including the likes of Microsoft, Intel, HP, and Vizio, have their electronic components manufactured by Foxconn. Thus, this is not just a problem that concerns Apple, but the entire electronics industry. Second, we have to recognize that while companies are and should be held responsible for who they do business with, they can’t be held responsible for the problems with those companies. Take the Bechtel Corporation of San Francisco, a global engineering firm. In the late 1990s, the firm gained partial water rights to Bolivia’s third largest city, resulting in extremely high water prices for the citizens. Were Bechtel’s actions wrong? Probably. Was it wrong for other companies to contract with Bechtel? Maybe. But instances like these become very difficult for companies like Apple to deal with, because of the relationship that they have with companies like Foxconn (trade secrets, etc) and the small number of electronics manufacturing corporations in the world that have the ability to produce such a large number of products. Finally, we as a society have to realize that while these violations of human rights are taking place, there are many such instances across a variety of different sectors, for example palm oil.

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