The Ethical Roots of Business Ethics

1991 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Vogel
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Public Good ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
The Public ◽  
Central Argument ◽  
The Relationship

This paper traces the historical roots of some of our current preoccupations with the ethics of business. Its central argument is that many of the contemporary criteria that we use to evaluate the ethics of business are not new; rather, they date back several centuries. This paper illustrates this thesis by comparing historical and contemporary discussions of three sets of issues: the relationship between ethics and profits, the relationship between private gain and the public good and the tension between the results of capitalism and the intentions of businessmen.The fact that these tensions are inherent in the nature of capitalism, if not in human nature itself, does not make our contemporary concerns or standards any less valid. On the contrary, it underlies their significance. Contemporary discussions of business ethics constitute part of an ongoing moral dialogue with both deep secular and religious roots.

The Ethical Roots of Business Ethics

1991 ◽  
Vol 1 (01) ◽  
pp. 101-120
Author(s):  
David Vogel
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Public Good ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
The Public ◽  
Central Argument ◽  
The Relationship

This paper traces the historical roots of some of our current preoccupations with the ethics of business. Its central argument is that many of the contemporary criteria that we use to evaluate the ethics of business are not new; rather, they date back several centuries. This paper illustrates this thesis by comparing historical and contemporary discussions of three sets of issues: the relationship between ethics and profits, the relationship between private gain and the public good and the tension between the results of capitalism and the intentions of businessmen.The fact that these tensions are inherent in the nature of capitalism, if not in human nature itself, does not make our contemporary concerns or standards any less valid. On the contrary, it underlies their significance. Contemporary discussions of business ethics constitute part of an ongoing moral dialogue with both deep secular and religious roots.

Going Far by Going Together: James M. Buchanan’s Economics of Shared Ethics

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Art Carden ◽  
Gregory W. Caskey ◽  
Zachary B. Kessler
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Public Good ◽  
Public Capital ◽  
The Public ◽  
Economic Progress ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Other Regarding ◽  
Ethical Communication ◽  
Other Regarding Preferences

We explore themes in Nobel Prize–winning economist James M. Buchanan’s work and apply his Ethics and Economic Progress to problems facing individuals and firms. We focus on Buchanan’s analysis of the individual work ethic, his exhortations to “pay the preacher” of the “institutions of moral-ethical communication,” and his notion of law as “public capital.” We highlight several ways people with other-regarding preferences can contribute to social flourishing and some of the ways those who have “affected to trade for the public good” might want to redirect their efforts. We show how Buchanan’s work has considerable implications for business ethics. Just as his economic analysis of politics changed how we understand government, we think his economic analysis of ethics can (and should) change how we understand business.

scholarly journals A Fresh Apple or a New Barrel: Business Ethics from an Individual to Corporate Level

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Sibel Oktar Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Codes Of Ethics ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
The Public ◽  
Purpose Of Business

The moral nature of corporations has been discussed for a long time. But, since 2001, with enormous economic effects of the misconduct of some corporations this discussion gained another dimension, it moved into the public sphere, the subject became more sensitive. The anger and mistrust of the public toward business triggered legislators and corporations to take urgent action. For example, just after the collapse of Enron (2001) the American Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) that covers the responsibilities of boards of directors and requires compliance training at all levels. It also revived the old controversial arguments about the nature of business – whether the only purpose of business is to make profits, the relationship of business and ethics – whether business ethics is an oxymoron, and human nature – whether it is ‘bad apples’ or ‘bad barrels’. Yet, with new sets of regulations, in 2017, we are still witnessing the misconduct of corporations on a global scale. This article investigates the effectiveness of corporate efforts such as revisiting mission statements, polishing the codes of ethics and conducting training, by evaluating the nature of business, human nature and the understanding of ethics in the workplace. By looking through the lens of utilitarianism of ethical issues in business, I will argue that codes of ethics and ethics training are necessary but not sufficient. Within the scope of this paper I wish to pave the way to a holistic approach which is necessary and sufficient to create ethical businesses.

Electronic Surveillance for the Public Good

2007 ◽  
pp. 100-113
Author(s):  
Liz Lee-Kelley ◽  
Ailsa Kolsaker
Keyword(s):  
Public Good ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Electronic Surveillance ◽  
The Public ◽  
Surveillance Technology ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship

The central government in the UK is determined to employ new surveillance technology to combat the threat of terrorist activities. This chapter contributes to the important debate on the relationship between citizens and the government, by discussing not whether electronic surveillance should be used, but rather, when it is acceptable to the populace. From our analysis, we conclude that a reconciliation of state-interest and self-interest is critical for the success of e-governance; as such, electronic surveillance’s mission has to be about serving the law-abiding majority and their needs, and its scope and benefits must be clearly understood by the visionaries, implementers and the citizenry.

Does Foundation Giving Stimulate or Suppress Private Giving? Evidence from a Panel of Canadian Charities

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 382-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iryna Khovrenkov
Keyword(s):  
Economic Theory ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Public Good ◽  
Data Set ◽  
The Public ◽  
Private Giving ◽  
Unique Data ◽  
Private Donations ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Canadian Charities

As non-governmental providers of public goods, charities are funded by governments and also by individuals and foundations. How do foundation grants to charities affect private donations to these organizations? The standard economic theory on voluntary contributions to the public good hypothesizes that foundation giving will crowd out private donations. An alternative giving dynamic may arise whereby foundations act as complements to private donations because they can provide a signal of charity quality to individuals and thereby influence their decisions to give. This article offers a rigorous empirical analysis of the relationship between foundation and private donations by utilizing a unique data set on Canadian social welfare and community charities matched with their foundation donors. Empirical findings confirm that an additional dollar of foundation grants to charities crowds in private giving by three dollars on average, suggesting that private donors may look to foundation grants for information on charities to make informed giving decisions.

scholarly journals Spriritual Metode Spiritual Penghayat Kapribaden Dalam Menjalin Hubungan Dengan Sang Pencipta

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 334-351
Author(s):  
Satria Adhitama
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Spiritual Practice ◽  
Clear Picture ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
The Public ◽  
Data Collection Methods ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Collection Methods

There are hundreds of beliefs in Indonesia, one of which is Kapribaden. The essence of Kapribaden's teachings is a spiritual practice by starting to know yourself as a human being and after that you can only know God. Before knowing God, Kapribaden followers must understand human nature first. This study aims to dig deeper into how Kapribaden believers establish a relationship with the Creator. This study uses a constructivist paradigm with interview data collection methods and literature study. There is a method or method known as Panca Gaib or Sarana Gaib to connect Kapribaden followers with God, namely Kunci, Asmo, Mijil, Singkir, and Paweling. By understanding this, it is hoped that the public can get a clear picture of the relationship between Kapribaden followers and God, so that acts of discrimination can be minimized.

Religious Nonconformity and the Quality of Mercy

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan H. Shagan
Keyword(s):  
Public Good ◽  
Church Of England ◽  
Moral Dilemmas ◽  
Merchant Of Venice ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Ideal ◽  
Religious Nonconformity

This chapter explores the relationship between religious arguments for and against the mitigation of legal penalties for religious nonconformity, and the arguments in Shakespeare’sMerchant of Venicefor and against the moderation of legal rigour. It argues that Elizabethan legal debates overepieikeiaor equity were heavily inflected with the debate over conscientious nonconformity. Shakespeare’s play restages these debates, not only in the courtroom scene but in a variety of moral dilemmas or cases of conscience, repeatedly supporting the ideal of individual conscience against the claims of Church of England conformists such as Richard Hooker that law can only be mitigated when it serves the public good.

Electronic Surveillance for the Public Good

2011 ◽  
pp. 2597-2609
Author(s):  
Liz Lee-Kelley ◽  
Ailsa Kolsaker
Keyword(s):  
Public Good ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Electronic Surveillance ◽  
The Public ◽  
Surveillance Technology ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship

The central government in the UK is determined to employ new surveillance technology to combat the threat of terrorist activities. This chapter contributes to the important debate on the relationship between citizens and the government, by discussing not whether electronic surveillance should be used, but rather, when it is acceptable to the populace. From our analysis, we conclude that a reconciliation of state-interest and self-interest is critical for the success of e-governance; as such, electronic surveillance’s mission has to be about serving the law-abiding majority and their needs, and its scope and benefits must be clearly understood by the visionaries, implementers and the citizenry.

Towards a History of Projects

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 423-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Keller ◽  
Ted McCormick
Keyword(s):  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Public Good ◽  
Experimental Philosophy ◽  
Scientific Practice ◽  
The Public ◽  
Colonial Expansion ◽  
History Of ◽  
Stuart England ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Individual Effort

This introduction argues for the value of projecting as a category of analysis, while exploring the contexts for its emergence and spread as a genre of intellectual and practical activity in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. The emergence of the morally ambivalent figure of the “projector” in Elizabethan and Stuart England – initially in connection with confessional strife and attacks on corruption, and subsequently in relation to colonial expansion, experimental philosophy, and commercial and fiscal innovation – provoked defences of projecting that articulated the relationship between private interest, individual effort, the public good, and collaborative ­scientific practice in new ways. German cameralists and French philosophes extended these arguments, while recuperating the figure of the projector, in the eighteenth century.


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