1. What is the purpose of the business? This question can have infinite answers and all of them can be correct. The goal will not be to find a definitive answer but to explore four main theories of business ethics to better understand what the purpose of business is.2. A business model based solely on profit would define the shareholder theory in which the fundamental objective of the company is to produce the maximum profit for its shareholders. Prioritizing profits over a positive public image Goldman Sachs becomes an excellent example of shareholder theory. Rights and desert theory can be used to support shareholder theory.3. When shares are purchased in a company, that person is entitled to profits or losses corresponding to the value of those shares in stock, the rights theory supports the shareholder theory where shareholders are entitled to reap the benefits of the shares as long as they are you were purchased rightly. Desert theory states that if the action is morally right, then the person should be able to reap the benefits and suffer the losses. Shareholder theory supports this since being a shareholder of a corporation is morally accepted, but if an unethical act is done in buying or selling stock, Desert Theory would not support shareholder theory. When Martha Stewart was arrested for insider trading, she demonstrated that performing an immoral act nullifies the desert theory. Shareholder theory revolves around the complacency of one stakeholder, the shareholders; Stakeholder theory expands this vision to try to please all stakeholders. Ben and Jerry's company was a good example of stakeholder theory as it kept the pay differences between the CEO and the lowest paid worker at only ten times. The theory of utilitarianism and virtue ethics can be used to support...... middle of paper......n a company and benefit from the gains that shares can bring.9. Since shareholder and stakeholder theory are very different, they become the extremes in the spectrum of business ethics, among these are the vision of the Kantian minimum and the Rawlsian position. The Kantian Minimum view is closer to the Shareholders' view, but the main difference is that it does not treat any stakeholder group as a mere means to an end. The Rawlsian position is closer to the stakeholder view where life is not fair, but if you didn't know what position you would be in, you would choose the situation that would benefit your best interest. Considering the four points of view, the Rawlsian position would be ethically more justified. It benefits from net happiness where there is not a big difference between stakeholder groups, and there is also room for promotion between groups since all stakeholders are not even.