商业道德(Business Ethics)

ETHICSEthicsisabranchofphilosophythatexaminesthemoralstandardsofanindividualorsociety,andaskinghowthesestandardsapplytoourlivesandwhetherthesearereasonableorunreasonable.BusinessEthicsBusinessEthics:Theapplicationofordinaryhumanmoralandethicalconsiderationsinabusinesssetting.“Application”:Likemedicalethics,environmentalethics,businessethicsisappliedethics.Business:anyorall-economictransactionsbetweenindividuals,betweenindividualsandprofit-makingorganizations,andbetweenprofit-makingorganizationsandothersuchorganizations.“Moral(Latin)andethical(Greek)considerations”:Howpeopleoughttobehave(toeachother).Valuesofhonesty,fairness,loyalty,justice,respect,etc.“Morality”referstothestandardsthatanindividualorgrouphasaboutwhatisrightandwrongconduct,goodandevil,andthevaluesembedded,fosteredorpursuedintheact.Everyoneknowsthebusinessistomakemoneyforthepurposeof.Businessearnsmoretothenationalcapitalflowmorefavorableofthestaffatthesametimealsobringmanybenefits.Butthebusinessmustabidebybusinessmoralitytomakemoney.Lackofbusinessmoralitywillbringgreatharmforexample，damagetheinterestsofconsumer.Destroythefaircompetitionorder.Damagetheinterestoftheothercompetitors.Atthesametime,seriousdamagetotheenterprise’sowninterests.SoalackofbusinessmoralityoftheenterpriseisdifficulttosurviveinthesocietyIfstudentswanttobecomeasuccessfulentrepreneur,tofollowthebusinessethicsundertheconditions,maximizethebenefits,isamarvelousman.whilegoodethicsoftenequatestogoodbusiness,sometimesitdoesn't.Sometimesbeingtrulyethicalmeansgivingupsomethingyouwantinexchangefordoingtherightthing.That'swhyweworryaboutethicsinthefirstplace--ifitdidn'tcostusanything,everyonewouldbeethicalallthetime.MoralStandardsWhatdistinguishesmoralstandardsfromamoralstandards?1.Moralstandardsdealwithmattersthatcanseriouslyinjureorbenefithumanbeings.E.g.theft,rape,fraud,slander,murder.2.Thevalidityofmoralstandardsrestsontheadequacyofreasonstosupportandjustifythem,notondecisionsofmajorityorauthoritativebodies.E.g.thatoneoughttotellthetruthdoesnotdependonhowmanypeoplewillvoteonitnoronthelegislature.Oneindicationofjustificationistheconsensusofparticipantsincommunication.(Habermas)3.Moralstandardsaretobepreferredtoothervalues,includingself-interest.E.g.honestyistobepreferredthancheating,althoughcheatingcanmakemegraduate.4.Moralstandardsarebasedonimpartialconsiderations.Anotherwayofexpressingthisis‘universalizable’ortakingthepointofviewofan‘idealobserver.’Still,thisimpartialitymustbebalancedwithpartialitytowardsthosewehaveaspecialrelationship(familyandfriends)andthepoorandthedisabled.5.Moralstandardsareassociatedwithspecialemotionssuchas‘guilt,’‘shame,’‘remorse,’‘praise,’‘indignation’.Whatiscommontoallfivecharacteristics?Noneotherthansocietytakeninitsbroadestsense,orinphilosophicalterms,the‘other.’Inotherwords,individualresponsibilitycannotbetakeninisolationfromsocialresponsibility.IndividualandSocialResponsibilityInthefirstplace,weacquireourindividualmoralstandardsfromsociety:thefamily,friends,school,church,associations,andmedia.Aswegrowup,experience,learningandintellectualdevelopmentmayleadustorevisethesestandards,adoptnewones,orreinforceexistingonesinordertomeetmoralchallengesanddilemmasofadultlife.Moralityisnotjustaquestionofavoidingevil(individual)butofpro-activelydoinggood(social).Justiceisnotjustavoidingdoingharmtotheotherpersonbutofrespondingtotheobjectivedemandsofthesituation,tothecallofahighervalue.Iamnotsolelyresponsibletomyselfortomyfamily,butalsotoothers,tothecommunity.Icannotjustbemoralathomeandnotintheworkplace.Thesocialandtheindividualinterpenetrate.Attimes,theindividualandthesocialcomeinconflict,andthereisneedtoapplymoralreasoning.MoralReasoningMoralreasoningisthereasoningprocessbywhichhumanbehaviors,policies,institutionsarejudgedtobeinaccordancewithorinviolationofmoralstandards.Moralreasoninginvolvestwoessentialcomponents:1.Moralstandardsthatrequires,prohibits,values,orcondemns,and2.Thefactualevidenceorinformationthataparticularperson,behavior,policyorinstitutionhasthekindoffeaturesthatthemoralstandardrequires,prohibits,valuesorcondemns.Inargumentform,(1)formsthemajorpremise,(2)thesecondpremise,andtheconclusionisthemoraljudgment.Toevaluatetheadequacyofmoralreasoning,variouscriteriaareusedbyethicians:1.Moralreasoningmustbelogical,thatis,thepremisesmustbetrueandthereasoningvalid.2.Thefactualevidencecitedmustbeaccurate,relevant,andcomplete.3.Themoralstandardsinvolvedintheperson’smoralreasoningmustbeconsistent.Consistencymeansthatthemoralstandardsinvolvedinthereasoningareconsistentwitheachotherandwithotherbeliefsthepersonholds.Consistencyalsomeansthatoneiswillingtoaccepttheconsequencesofapplyingone’smoralstandardstoallpersonsinsimilarcircumstances.Summary:Businessethicsisaspecializedstudyofmoralrightandwrong.Itconcentratesonmoralstandardsastheyapplyparticularlytobusinesspolicies,institutionsandbehavior.