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Session-1
INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ETHICS

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 Ethics and Philosophy (1):
Philosophy

Philosophy is a discipline that aims at radically acquiring knowledge

of anything by systematically applying rational means
(a tentative definition)

Philosophy is not a science, but not unscientific!

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 Aristotle Book-1/chapter-3
We must be content, then, in speaking of such
subjects and with such premises to indicate
the truth roughly and in outline, and in
speaking about things which are only for the
part true … for it is the mark of an educated
man to look for precision in each class of
things just so far as the nature of the subject
admits; it is evidently foolish to accept
probable reasoning from a mathematician and
to demand from a rhetorician scientific proofs.
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 Ethics and Philosophy (2):
Ethics as a Branch of Philosophy

Being
(“is”)

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 Ethics and Philosophy (3):
Moral versus Ethical
is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of morality
and moral choices.
refers to of
good and bad human beings qua human beings.

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 ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY (4):
ETHICS COVERS MORAL AND ETHICAL PROBLEMS
Imagine this sketch!
ETHICS
Ethical theories

ETHICAL DILEMMAS ETHICAL PROBLEMS MORAL PROBLEMS

TEMPTATION
DILEMMA
Glek!
Choices involve: Choices involve: Choices involve:
truth vs. loyalty; evaluation of the violations of the
individual vs. community; moral standards moral standards
short term vs. long term; and seeking prevalent in the
justice vs. mercy. rational justification society.
for particular actions.
Ethics and Philosophy (5):
Ethical versus Other Values
Exactly! There are many different
type of values or goodness, each
refers to beliefs or standards that
incline us to act or choose in one
way rather than another. There
are financial, religious, historical,
nutritional, social, political,
scientific, and aesthetic values.

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Ethics and Philosophy (6):
Ethics, Ethos, Etiquette

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4 ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY (7):
ETHICS AND LAWS

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 Ethics and Philosophy (8):
Why Study Philosophical Ethics?

Intuition is
indispensable
here…

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 Ethics and Philosophy (9):
Five Characteristics to Point Out

Intuition is
indispensable
here…

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 Ethics and Philosophy (10):
Four Areas to be Addressed

Intuition is
indispensable
here…

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 Ethics and Philosophy (11):
Business Ethics as an applied (Philosophical) Ethics

Teaching criminals
in business ethics
is indeed useless!

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..

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Reason Nature of Typical approach Attitude

challenge
Personal gain and Selfish interest vs. Egoistical mentality “I want it!”
selfish interest others’ interest
Competitive Firm’s interest vs. Bottom-line “We have to beat
pressure on profits other’s interests mentality the others at all
costs!”
Business goals vs. Boss’s interests vs. Authoritarian “Do as I say, or
personal values subordinates’ mentality else!”
values
Cross cultural Company’s Ethnocentric “Foreigners have a
contradictions interests vs. diverse mentality funny notion of
cultural traditions what’s right and
and values wrong!”
 CORPORATION
CORPORATION
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