International Business Ethics
Lecture 1: Introduction
- Crossing:
o Between business and ethics
o Between business and philosophy
o Between business ethics and continental philosophy
- There is a difference between analytical and continental philosophy.
o Analytical: is what is taking place in English speaking countries.
o Continental: what is going on in Europe.
What is ethics?
- It studies good and bad
- It is reflective and critical
- It does not provide answers but is aporetic
What is morality?
- Prevailing ideas about what is good and bad
Ethics criticizes morality!!!
What is business ethics?
It studies good and bad in organizations
It is keen on improving the status quo in business and organization
Criticism: it does not question the status quo (it does not, for example, ask serious question
about the nature of capitalism or the principle of profit)
In this sense, it is not a serious ethics (for such an ethics is critical and reflexive and does not
provide clear-cut answers)
In some sense, the agenda of our book is to infuse business ethics with more (philosophical)
ethics
We bring in continental thought in order to make this possible.
Tutorial 1 – Introduction
- Critical reflection – theories deal with ideal situation – your own interpretation.
- Analytic philosophy perspective – continental philosophy is a laugh: different stereotypes
(as seen from the perspective of analytic philosophy)
Analytic philosophy Continental philosophy
Language analysis Poetical analysis, poetry itself
Scientific Artistic at best, in fact nonsensical
Disciplined Wild, unruly, anarchistic
Politically neutral Politically left
Methodological Chaotic
Believe in this progress of knowledge Situational truths, contingency
Really philosophical Rhetorical
- Concepts of truth:
o Analytical philosophy = is a single conception, neutral and objective truth, no need
to discuss, there is a generally accepted truth.
o Continental = Nietzsche – when one claims he is telling the truth, hidden agenda –
exerting power claim. So, truth is not neutral, it can also be a power claim.
- Ethics is relative – what we think is good belongs to culture and time, context based and only
counts at that point in time – problem is no arguments, no debate able, every claim is legit.
- Ethics is absolute – no need to discuss, we all know if it is good or bad already.