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The Ethical Roots of Business Ethics

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  • Vogel, David

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Vogel, David, 1991. "The Ethical Roots of Business Ethics," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 101-120, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:buetqu:v:1:y:1991:i:01:p:101-120_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Tyler Burch & Greg Murphy & Neil Tocher, 2019. "Entrepreneurship Education Enrollment Intentions: The Effect Of Attitudes, Norms And Personality," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 24(03), pages 1-20, September.
    2. Saravana Jaikumar & Viswanath Pingali & Vineet Virmani, 2019. "Shareholders’ reaction to ethical image of sports teams: an event study in the Indian Premier League," DECISION: Official Journal of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Springer;Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, vol. 46(4), pages 283-300, December.

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