Analytical paper #1: ethics

Boiler room The movie boiler room is about a college dropout called Seth Davis whose major goals in life are to make fast and easy money as well as get his long-awaited father’s approval. As much as he may have failed in his pursuit of higher education, Seth is portrayed as one who has a remarkable talent for making it in business. Seth gets a chance to work at a renowned brokerage firm called J. T. Marlin. Initially he was running an illegal casino business that he abandons for this outstanding opportunity to make millions overnight. However, sooner rather than later, Seth discovers that his workplace isn’t at all what it seems. There he is introduced to a significant number of vices.
One major ethical issue established in the movie is deceitful business. It is a rule at the J. T. Marlin that all possible tactics be employed in the effort of making sales. This in other words is an encouragement to engage in dishonesty. When Seth inquires about regulations concerning this he is referred to the firm’s compliance officer who apparently is in the firm’s ‘ pocket’. In this regard, Seth tells lies to clients. For instance, he lies to one client about being married and being an investor himself as well as engaging his family in the investment in the stock owing to the fact that it is a wonderful deal. Once, Seth lies to a middle-class client, Harry Reynard and gets him to invest all his life savings in imaginary stocks and he of course loses it all.
Ethical relativism refers to varying philosophical stands based on diversities in moral judgments of various societies or groups. It is the philosophy upon which majority of the characters in the movie rely on to justify their deceitful actions. This line of thinking allows them to go after self-preservation at all possible costs more so at the expense of other innocent parties. According to them, there is nothing wrong with their actions. Seth lies to clients to make sales, which will earn him his money and perhaps his father’s approval. He does not mind about his victims provided he is paid.
Deontology is the study of the nature of responsibility and obligation. Otherwise, it is an ethical theory stating that an action’s morality is based on its rightness or wrongness according to certain rules. Deontology is an example of an alternative theory that the character of this movie could have employed in the correctness of their behavior. This philosophy calls for consideration of the other party. It allows one to put themselves in the victim’s shoes to get clarity of the issue. In the event that the stockbrokers of J. T. Marlin would have utilized this philosophy instead, it is highly unlikely that there would have been deceitful business activities.
Social ethics refers to what is deemed right by a society based on the actions of an individual. Social ethics theories could be another alternative. It allows the people involved thinking mostly about fairness and doing what is right to other people. Fair treatment of the client highly entails giving them the absolute correct information about whatever it is that they are purchasing and why. Seth and all his fellow brokers would not have been dishonest with their clients had they deployed this philosophy.
As a result of applying the above alternative philosophies, there would be no FBI involvement in the firm’s business. This in turn means that arrests would not have been made and therefore business goes on as usual. Additionally, the victims to the business would be non-existent.
In conclusion, boiler room, the movie, addresses a few of the vices that people indulge in during business. It is a field engulfed in greed and self-preservation. Such an environment can be tricky to navigate oneself in especially when conscience gets in the way.
Work cited
Specogna, Marino. A Convicted Stock Manipulators Guide to Investing. New York: Writers Showcase, 2003. Print.