The object of this essay is to establish whether there is an ethical theory that can be successfully applied to business organisations. In order to answer this question, it is necessary first to define the major ethical theories, which are utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics, before determining whether there are any other options. After that, the ethical needs, problems and limitations of work organisations will have to be examined so that the different theories can be evaluated in this context. It will also be important to draw a distinction between the terms "accurate" and "useful" as these actually result in two different questions the answer to which need not necessarily be the same. Another essential part of this discussion …show more content…
It has one further category of action, the superogatory: actions that are morally good but not obligatory for they are over and above the requirements of duty. One of the main problems with this theory is the possible clash of duties that such a rigid system of rules will inevitably entail, when applied to the real world. However, there is some merit in the adoption of universal regulations covering, for example, health and safety of employees, and employee rights, in businesses internationally. The Kantian deontological position also suggests that people should be treated "with respect and as ends in their own right, not solely as means to other's ends." (Legge, 1998) However, in a profit-motivated system such as a business organisation, even a highly enlightened one, it is difficult not to perceive workers as a means to a profitable end. Virtue ethics is a very different approach to the others and central to Aristotle's work. It does not primarily concentrate on the right action as such; the right action according to virtue ethicists is the one that the virtuous agent would do. Virtue ethics takes the central feature of morality to be the virtuous character, and the account of what the virtues are as the basis of the theory. The virtuous agent is not someone who maximises happiness or conforms to a set of rules, but someone who acts
A code of ethics stands for a set of principles of conduct set within an organization to assist or guide employees to making decisions and adhering to ethical behavior. It’s a set of guidelines that must be followed to make ethical choices when conducting work related matters. Code of ethics is an organizations form integrity. This paper will discuss what an appropriate code of ethics is, and summarize the features of deontological, consequentialist, and virtue of ethics in a professional code of ethics. It will also analyze both the advantages and disadvantages of each approach to ethical theory in the context of the workplace.
In the book, If Aristotle Ran General Motors, Tom Morris argues that the teachings of the ancients can and should be applied to today's corporation. His message is that the four virtues - truth, beauty, goodness, and unity - form the foundation of human excellence. Putting them into practice leads not only to self-fulfillment, but ultimately to an open, nurturing, and ethical workplace that is more productive and successful in the long-term. The purpose of this essay is to examine how Morris treats the system of ethics in relation to these four virtues.
In the book, If Aristotle Ran General Motors, Tom Morris argues that the teachings of the ancients can and should be applied to today's corporation. His message is that the four virtues - truth, beauty, goodness, and unity - form the foundation of human excellence. Putting them into practice leads not only to self-fulfillment, but ultimately to an open, nurturing, and ethical workplace that is more productive and successful in the long-term. The purpose of this essay is to examine how Morris treats the system of ethics in relation to these four virtues.
Virtue Theory is one of many different moral theories that exist today. It is based off of Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics which focuses on having an ideal character. The main focus of Virtue Theory is the role of one’s character, which is closely related to its roots in Aristotle. A Virtue Theorist would do things because it is who they themselves are, not because it is good to do them or because they will get something good from doing them.
Virtue ethics is a theory of ethics in moral philosophy in which it emphasizes that the notion of virtue is key to a
The Virtue Theory, also know as Virtue Ethics, refers to the character of each person. This theory states that every person should try for excellence. The characteristics of each individual are made up from their environment that they are a part of. The theory would further suggest
Ethics in business addresses the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ behaviours of business practises, and how these practices impact the employees, shareholders, the general public and the environment.
The first theory I will compare virtue ethics against is ethical egoism. The two theories share a commonality apart from being normative in nature. They both seek what is best for the doer. Aristotle claimed that happiness is ultimately attained by striving for the “function of man” which is the excellence found within virtue. This is comparable to ethical egoism because of it’s principle of exclusively acting in one’s own best interest. While virtue ethics states that a virtuous character is the goal, ethical egoism is not specific to what is in a person’s best interest. If attaining a virtuous character is
In this essay I have chosen to compare two opposing theories, Immanuel Kant 's absolutist deontological ethics and Joseph Fletchers relativist situation ethics. The deontological ethics focuses on actions made according to duty and the categorical imperative - which shows how acts are intrinsically good or bad. The situation ethics state that no act is intrinsically good or bad, and that actions should b made according to love. From this perspective it looks as thought Kant 's views were less personal than Fletcher 's, although in actuality both focus on the best outcome for humans.
Ethics derives from the Greek word ethos which means character. Essentially ethics is a theory of proper moral conduct. Essentially, in ethics one is trying to make a distinction between what is the case between what ought to be the case. A key player in ethics is the moral agent. A moral agent is a person that has an ability to reflect on moral issues. Moral actions conform to the law and immoral actions do not conform to the law.
What is Aristotle’s virtue ethics theory exactly? Aristotle was one of the first to describe this type of theory and he based it largely on Eudaimonism. “Eudaimonism bases virtues in human flourishing, where flourishing is equated with performing one’s distinctive function well” (Virtue Ethics). For humans, Aristotle believed that our main function is reasoning and to “live well” we would need to reason well. The largest part of virtue ethics is the titular “virtues” that decide whether or not a person was truly flourishing or not.
Virtue theory, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics are categories of virtue ethics. As they are all a part of virtue ethics, they are all schools of thought concerning how people should be and which virtues people must accrue such that they lead "good" lives. Many of these terms are relative to aspects such as culture and time. The three theories are all related, yet distinctive as theories or schools of thought regarding ethics and behavior.
Business is a changing scenario and it has different principles and rules in different environments. To perform a business, there is required a set of principles and rules to be based, so that the actions taken are proper and produce the desired results. (Shoemaker, 1999)Utilitarianism is an ethical theory for ranking various outcome from interpersonal stand point .it is a concept which is based on the theory of performing the right action to produce the right consequence where the benefits are maximised and sufferings are reduced to a minimum. (Gaus, 2001)Deontology is a theory in which only right making properties are good promoting properties. Which is based on being acting based o morality and having a correct motive which ends in all good and no bad.
Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics foundational principle resides in happiness. Aristotle believes that the goal of human life is to be happy, but to live a happy, moral life; an individual needs to be virtuous in character. To help us understand this, Aristotle first explains that there are two kinds of virtues: intellectual virtue and moral virtue. Intellectual virtue can be learned through teaching, which requires experience and time. Moral virtue on the other hand, comes as the result from habit. Aristotle believes that every individual has the capability to be virtuous, however just because they have that capability, it does not mean they use it correctly. Moreover, because being morally virtuous is a form of habit, it is something that can be learned and it is tied to their actions and passions. For example, every person can get angry, but it is a choice to how angry they get. Thus, virtue is a principle that attempts to establish a “golden mean” between extremes of responsive behavior. In order to be virtuous, an individual has to avoid being too excessive or too deficient in their actions, rather they have to find the middle ground between the two. If an individual can find the middle ground between being too excessive or too deficient in an action or situation, then Aristotle would consider them to be a virtuous person. It is important to note that to able to habitually hit the “mean” is a long process and is a skill that can be developed. Also, not every situation or action
The object of this essay is to establish whether there is an ethical theory that can be successfully applied to business organizations. In order to answer this question, it is necessary first to define the major ethical theories, which are utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics, before determining whether there are any other options. After that, the ethical needs, problems and limitations of work organizations will have to be examined so that the different theories can be evaluated in this context. It will also be important to draw a distinction between the terms “accurate” and “useful” as these actually result in two different questions the answer to which need not necessarily be the same. Another essential part of this discussion