Inserting pearls of liberal wisdom into his ethical advice: "I believe, for example, nobody may honorably work for a tobacco company, the maker of a toxic product that, used as directed, annually kills 400,000 Americans."
By
Clay Waters
October 26, 2010 - 12:55pm
Randy Cohen often works [1] his liberal opinions into "The Ethicist [2]," his ethics column for the Sunday Magazine. This week's lesson? Don't work for evil tobacco companies.
Responding to a "celebrity spokesperson" for a company who learned that "its labor practices...are not so admirable" and wondered if he should quit, Cohen said yes, explaining:
The gravity of the misdeeds is also significant. I believe, for example, nobody may honorably work for a tobacco company, the maker of a toxic product that, used as directed, annually kills 400,000 Americans. How grave is too grave? Alas, there is no universal bright line. But your employer seems to have crossed yours.