Download
1 / 6
60 likes | 173 Views
Business Ethics: True and False. by Machan and Chesher. Authors on the Defensive. Many feel that business ethics is bogus. The main virtue in business is prudence. (Using practical reason) Prudence is seen as egoistic & selfish. Therefore business is seen as amoral.
E N D
Business Ethics: True and False by Machan and Chesher
Authors on the Defensive • Many feel that business ethics is bogus. • The main virtue in business is prudence. • (Using practical reason) • Prudence is seen as egoistic & selfish. • Therefore business is seen as amoral. • Business ethics is, therefore, often taught as “business bashing”.
The Common “Kantian” View • Two popular positions on the source of human actions: • 1. Nature (Genetics): We are hard-wired. • 2. Nurture: We are shaped by our environment. • What about Free Will? • Kant suggests only inner-self has free-will. • It is only the “thought” that counts. • Results and Consequences are irrelevant.
If business is evil from the start . . . • Then people don’t expect morality from businessmen. • Then people only expect business to abide by the law—no more nor no less. • Then morality is determined by the political process. • Then Legal positivism reigns. • This is a serious form of relativism.
Machan & Chesher’s View • People’s needs are morally relevant. • Business is then an honorable profession. • Consequences are important. • Making a profit is morally good. • Business should be approached from the perspective that it is important.
