...Ethics and Corporate Governance: Corporate Social Responsibility Contents Introduction 2 Definition of Ethics 2 Definition of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) 2 History of Ethics 2 Socrates 2 Plato 2 Aristotle 2 Cynics 2 Cyrenaics 2 Business Ethics 2 Nike 2 McDonalds 2 Enron 2 Wal-Mart 2 Why Business Ethics is Necessary 2 Conclusion 2 Bibliography 2 Introduction This assignment is a brief over view of ethics in the modern day era. It begins with a definition of ethics, followed by a concise explanation of corporate social responsibility. Ethics has evolved over a number of decades and still is to this day, with that a short history of ethics will be demonstrated in this assignment. Ethics determines whether or not a company has good or bad morale. Unfortunately a company that holds excellent ethics are not highlighted in the media as a company that has bad ethics. In this essay will illustrate examples of how large national and international companies came to have bad ethics. To conclude this assignment will be a brief outlay of why ethics is necessary to the business environment in this day and age. Definition of Ethics Ethics can be defined at vital concepts and essential principles of moral human conduct. It consists of the study of universal ethics such as the essential parity of all men and women, natural or human rights, compliance to the law of land, concern for health and safety and, progressively more, for the natural environment...
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...Nicomachean Ethics written by Aristotle and Plato’s Meno written by Plato both address the concept of virtue. With the system of Eudaimonism, Plato and Aristotle attempt to arrive at a theory or system or set of moral principles or values dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. They further go on in applying these principles of conduct in governing an individual or group. Their main concern with conformity to this standard of right is the idea of virtue. They also seem to place one virtue as being of particular moral excellence. The widely accepted definition of Eudaimonism is having a good attendant spirit or a theory that the highest ethical goal is happiness and personal well-being. This definition of Eudaimonism...
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...Explain absolute and relative approaches to ethics Absolutism and relativism approach ethics in two very different ways. Absolutists believe that some things are either right or wrong and there is a rule that is true in all situations, this is a lot easier to apply, whereas, relativists believe it’s a judgement that depends on the circumstances where there’s no universal right or wrong. The theory of ethical relativism holds that there are no moral rules, all principles and values depend on a particular culture or age. There is no such thing as right or wrong what’s right to someone could be wrong to someone else. An action could be bad but in itself however the response could be right, for example if your dad is in a burning building with someone who can cure cancer who would you save? That one person who means the world to you? Or the majority of the population? This mean that there is no objective basis meaning there is no truth. Relativism originated from the western ethical thinking to the city of ancient Greece. At the time of 18th BCE, being good meant being a hero and doing heroic things and being a strong, courageous person. This idea started to develop and ethical theories of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle started to become accepted as they looked at the ideas of character and virtue. Things began to change in the 16th century BCE and there was no moral certainty. Due to the exploration of different cultures such as other civilisations with different ideas,...
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...From Ancient Greece forward, Plato, Socrates and developmental thought | Externalism, Internalism, Empiricism, Rationalism, Constructivism, Infinitism, Foundationalism, Coherentism, Skepticism | Aristotle, Plato, Spinoza, Locke, George Berkeley, Immanuel Kant. (with all the questions I think we can attribute some Socrates also) | Focused on the analysis of the nature of knowledge; how do we know what we know, why? How is knowledge acquired? What makes justified beliefs justified? | Metaphysics | Metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality, including the relationship between mind and body, substance, and accident, events, and causation (Johnson, 2008). | Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity is considered by many to be based in metaphysics but was adopted into physics because of its significance (Howie, 1997). | Cosmology, Ontology, Natural Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Mind, Perception | Aristotle, Plato, George Berkeley, Anne Conway, Oliva Sabuco de Nantes, Benedictus de Spinoza, Émilie du Châtelet, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes | The study of existence; Natural Theology – study of Gods, nature of religion, what is the divine? Universal Science - what are the first principals and how do they interact with being? | Moral | The philosophical study of moral judgments—value judgments about what is virtuous or base, just or unjust, morally right or wrong, morally good or bad or evil, morally proper or improper. | Looking at humans, how ethics should be applied through...
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...The Republic There is no doubt that The Republic by Plato has helped developed the foundation of ethics. Since the main theme of The Republic is focused on the nature of Justice, it is ideal to say that ethics, which is based on the principles of regulating the distribution of social benefits and its burdens deals directly with the issue of what is fairness or not in our society(Norman, 83). Plato makes a lot of interesting arguments in The Republic regarding the issues of ethics. Plato was more focused on debunking theories that have been promoted by Cephalus, Thrasymachus, and Glaucon. Because Plato believed that their theories are focused on a single component, and that is they considered justice as something external. In other words, they perceive justice as an achievement or a convention they have, none of them carried it into the soul or considered it in place of its habitation (Bhandari). And in making his case, Plato argued that justice does not depend upon a chance, convention or upon external force. He sees it as the right condition of the human soul by the very nature of man when seen in the fullness of his environment. For Plato, this observation is important because justice is internal since it resides within the soul. First, the part I find fascinating relates to the reconciliation of nature and convention. I do believe this argument is vulnerable because, if justice is indeed comparable to health, then moral virtuousness should be something that we need just...
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...INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY GREEK PHILOSOPHERS SOCRATES Socrates, perhaps the most famous of all philosophers, lived his entire life in Athens. Unlike Thales and other early thinkers, Socrates was more concerned with the health of the soul, than the nature of reality. Socrates spent his days in the streets of Athens, questioning people about their values. He termed himself a "gadfly" (horsefly) who ceasely irritated his fellow citizens into investigating their beliefs. Making many powerful enemies in the course of his life, Socrates was sentenced to death by the Athenian Assembly in 399 BC. One of Socrates' wonders is that he invented rigorous, ethical investigation. His conversations with his fellow Athenians, as recorded by Plato, are the first records we have of an individual, by his own careful reasoning, trying to discover the guiding principles of moral choices. METAPHYSICS Because Socrates always claimed that his only wisdom was that he knew nothing, it is difficult to determine his metaphysics, his view of reality. However, in some accounts of his conversations, like Plato’s EUTHYPHRO, we may catch glimpse of his beliefs. Socrates seemed to hold that individual entities, like holy actions, have universal characteristics, like Holiness, which can be discovered by the mind after careful investigation. This may mean that he anticipate Plato’s metaphysics that thee is higher, eternal world of truths (like Holiness) which exists independently of this world. EPISTEMOLOGY ...
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...“a maxim urging people to keep their particular places within society and to carry out their corresponding duties.” (World Ethics, pg 3). Socrates created his own interpretation of this. He gave it the meaning for people to analyze and learn about themselves. If one reflects on themselves they will acquire more self-knowledge which will then bring out their morals. If one has more knowledge about themselves when it comes to their strengths...
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...Introduction Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) entered Plato’s academy at the age of seventeen and spent twenty years with Plato. During his stay with Plato, he expressed his brilliance such that Plato considered him as the brilliant mind of the academy. Given this relationship, Plato influenced Aristotle in one way or the other such that some people even considered Aristotle a successor of Plato when Plato died. However, this never distracted Aristotle from taking a different path in his career. In fact, Aristotle contrasted with Plato in many areas. He also criticized him because he argued in different manner (Newport, 1998). On the other hand, Aristotle had various components in his system. This paper evaluates the key components of Aristotle’s system and the various contrasts of his philosophical works in relation to that of Plato. The paper starts by evaluating the key components of Aristotle’s system before it evaluates the contrasts between their worldviews. Key components The first key component of Aristotle’s system is metaphysics. This component explains Aristotle’s philosophical views and the history of philosophy. Based on this component, Aristotle showed the relationship between the form and nature of history. He also became the first person who identified the technological language because of this component (Masih, 1999). With the help of this component, Aristotle also established both practical and theoretical reasoning. The second component of the Aristotle’s system...
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...Political Science 201 November 12, 2013 Anna Umstead Plato and Aristotle, arguably two of the most influential Greek philosophers, discussed their differing views on virtue extensively throughout many of their works. Although they agree that virtue is a desirable characteristic that will lead to happiness, the ultimate good, there exists between the two philosophies salient differences. While Plato believes only philosophers are capable of true, inherent virtue, Aristotle believes all men can be virtuous with practice and dedication. GREAT. WAY TO GET TO THE POINT. BE SURE TO MENTION WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE ARGUING THAT VIRTUE IS INTRINSICALLY GOOD. HAVE IT SMACK ME IN THE FACE IT'S SO OBVIOIUS. (LIKE THAT TYPO). Plato’s Republic contains one of the greatest recorded discussions on the nature of justice. His definition of justice can be interpreted today as virtue, or the proper working of the soul. Plato argues in this work that virtue is inherently good only when it is manifest in the perfectly ordered soul of the philosopher. This philosopher is born just and inherently good, thereby making him the only individual capable of loving and seeking after virtue completely. …..... I'M GUESSING THIS ATTACHES TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH? AND I'M NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT “BORN JUST”. REMEMBER, IT ISN'T “INBORN” BUT IT IS NATURAL. YOU AREN'T BORN THAT WAY. YOU TEND TOWARDS IT, THOUGH. Only through virtue, or justice as he calls it, can a man receive happiness, and this hints at the inherent...
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...While the idea of democracy in the Age of Pericles was designed to strengthen Athens, its weaknesses ultimately led to its inevitable termination. This thesis will be defended by showing that democracy denied morals and ethics, examining the weakness in the system of democracy, and demonstrating a flawed system. Democracy has not worked in the past because although it holds up its idea of justice, it denies the basic morals and ethics of human rights. “Think not of life and children first, and justice afterward, but of justice first” (Document 2), is the message that was set out by the laws of democracy. These same laws are what failed Socrates in the end. He was a “victim, not of the laws, but of men” (Document 2). In the end, it was the laws set up by humans themselves that truly brought out the worst qualities in human nature. While philosophy focused on the rights of man, democracy focused on the rights to govern man. In order to create a form of government that benefited the people as well as morals and ethics, “a love of truth and hatred for falsehood that will not tolerate untruth in any form” (Document 3) was needed. According to Socrates, “there is nothing more closely akin to wisdom than truth. So the same nature cannot love wisdom and falsehood” (Document 3). The problem with democracy is that it denies truth in order to justify its means. Referring back to the example of Socrates, who was failed under the system of democracy, it is seen that although democracy...
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...use will change the picture. For Thucydides his view point seems to be that “Might is Right” versus Plato’s “Might for Right” as well as a search for what is right. Another way to differentiate the two would be to say one is for what I have the right to do and that makes it right verses what is the right thing to do and what makes it right. To determine whether the claims that Thucydides is making are empirical or normative we must first define those terms and then place them in the context of his story. By definition, normative ethics is all based on value judgments. It is all about what is right and what should one do about it. From my understanding, normative ethics is more based on emotion as opposed to empirical. Empirical ethics is defined as statements that can be proved or shown through observation. One plus one equals two. When it comes to Thucydides’ story of the Athenians and Melians, I believe it is a story of empirical ethics. Thucydides describes for us the setting of this tale with some back story. It is a time of war during which the Athenians made a journey to the island of Melos. The Athenians sent emissaries to the Melians to discuss what really amounts to terms for surrender. The Athenians believe that the strong do what they want and the weak have to accept that. This statement is empirical in nature. It is not based on emotion or value. It is a statement of fact as has been proven throughout history. The strong survive and the weak either serve the...
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...13-Antonakis.qxd 11/26/03 5:38 PM Page 302 CHAPTER 13 Ethics and Leadership Effectiveness Joanne B. Ciulla T he moral triumphs and failures of leaders carry a greater weight and volume than those of nonleaders (Ciulla, 2003b). In leadership we see morality magnified, and that is why the study of ethics is fundamental to our understanding of leadership. The study of ethics is about human relationships. It is about what we should do and what we should be like as human beings, as members of a group or society, and in the different roles that we play in life. It is about right and wrong and good and evil. Leadership is a particular type of human relationship. Some hallmarks of this relationship are power and/or influence, vision, obligation, and responsibility. By understanding the ethics of this relationship, we gain a better understanding of leadership, because some of the central issues in ethics are also the central issues of leadership. They include the personal challenges of authenticity, self-interest, and self-discipline, and moral obligations related to justice, duty, competence, and the greatest good. Some of the most perceptive work on leadership and ethics comes from old texts and is out there waiting to be rediscovered and reapplied. History is filled with wisdom and case studies on the morality of leaders and leadership. Ancient scholars from the East and West offer insights that enable us to understand leadership and Author’s Note:...
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...13-Antonakis.qxd 11/26/03 5:38 PM Page 302 CHAPTER 13 Ethics and Leadership Effectiveness Joanne B. Ciulla T he moral triumphs and failures of leaders carry a greater weight and volume than those of nonleaders (Ciulla, 2003b). In leadership we see morality magnified, and that is why the study of ethics is fundamental to our understanding of leadership. The study of ethics is about human relationships. It is about what we should do and what we should be like as human beings, as members of a group or society, and in the different roles that we play in life. It is about right and wrong and good and evil. Leadership is a particular type of human relationship. Some hallmarks of this relationship are power and/or influence, vision, obligation, and responsibility. By understanding the ethics of this relationship, we gain a better understanding of leadership, because some of the central issues in ethics are also the central issues of leadership. They include the personal challenges of authenticity, self-interest, and self-discipline, and moral obligations related to justice, duty, competence, and the greatest good. Some of the most perceptive work on leadership and ethics comes from old texts and is out there waiting to be rediscovered and reapplied. History is filled with wisdom and case studies on the morality of leaders and leadership. Ancient scholars from the East and West offer insights that enable us to understand leadership and Author’s Note:...
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...I. DEFINITION OF ETHICS Rushworth Kidder states that "standard definitions of ethics have typically included such phrases as 'the science of the ideal human character' or 'the science of moral duty' ". Ethics, sometimes known as philosophical ethics, ethical theory, moral theory, and moral philosophy, is a branch ofphilosophy that involves systematizing, defending and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct, often addressing disputes of moral diversity. The term comes from the Greek word ἠθικός ethikos from ἦθος ethos, which means "custom, habit". The superfield within philosophy known as axiology includes both ethics and aesthetics and is unified by each sub-branch's concern with value. Philosophical ethics investigates what is the best way for humans to live, and what kinds of actions are right or wrong in particular circumstances. Ethics may be divided into three major areas of study: * Meta-ethics, about the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions and how their truth values (if any) may be determined * Normative ethics, about the practical means of determining a moral course of action * Applied ethics draws upon ethical theory in order to ask what a person is obligated to do in some very specific situation, or within some particular domain of action (such as business) Related fields are moral psychology, descriptive ethics, and value theory. Ethics seeks to resolve questions dealing with human morality—concepts such as good and evil...
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...A Biblical View of Science, Technology, and Business: Do Utilitarian’s Agree with These Biblical Views? Utilitarianism was originated by Epicurus in ancient Greece and is the doctrine that an action is right as long as it promotes happiness, usefulness, and overall pleasurableness. If the action inflicts pain than it is not seen as right. Many of these ideas adapted well with the all of the modernization and changes that were occurring in the technology, science, and business world during the eighteenth century. Although the idea’s did fit well there was one issue, the new Utilitarian views were clashing with one of the most respected religions teachings; the Bible. There are many differences between the Utilitarian point of view; compared to the Bible’s point of view. Let’s begin with Technology, the Bible does not discuss this topic very much throughout its readings. Technological advances in a sense do not seem necessary, seeing that God is provides and protects those who follow him. Throughout the reading of The Gospel According to Matthew an anti-materialistic approach is used; “contempt for even the necessities of life and the assurance that ‘God will provide’” (Newton, Source Reader, p. 61). For example, the young rich man in the reading asks God what good deed he can complete in order to receive eternal life. God first suggests to the man to follow the Ten Commandments, the man states that he has been following the Ten Commandments since he was a young boy. God...
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