W 4/10 Velasquez (Reading Packet); Case Study: Hoffman (CS 207-215)

Topic: Acceptable Risk

1. What is the contractual theory view of the manufacturer’s duty to the consumer, and how does it place greater responsibility on the consumer?

2. What are the due care and social costs view of the manufacturer’s duty and how do they place greater responsibility on the manufacturer?

3. In the Pinto case, do you think Ford acted correctly? If so, why, and if not, how else should they have acted? How much value should we place on human life and suffering?