Zoe Atlas
Assignment #2
9/15/13
The Ford Pinto Discussion Questions
1. The Pinto case deals with the main moral issue of putting a price on people’s
lives. By going forth with the current, but flawed, design, the company is
essentially stating that the car is more valuable than the possible loss of human
life. In addition, the case deals with the moral issue of personal ethics verses
business ethics. Many people make the argument that personal and business ethics
are different and therefore, something that is immoral in your personal life may
not be immoral in a business context. This case confront this issue or concept by
demonstrating not only how people may make different choices in different
situations but also that both personal and business morals are interconnected and
often affect each other in a profound and complicated manner. This case addresses
these concerns and tries to deal with the variety of moral issues.
2. In an attempt to justify Ford’s decision to continue with the current design, they
could use both egoism and utilitarianism. The basic definition of egoism is that an
act is morally right if and only if it promotes the person’s own interest (pg. 43).
Using this theory, Ford’s act was morally right with staying on track with their
schedule and using the original design since that was the most profitable option
for them. Therefore, that decision would promote the company’s own interest.
