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Business Ethics
Business Ethics: Methods, Theories, and Application provides a new systematic

approach to normative business ethics that covers the complex and various ethical
challenges of modern business. It aims to train analytical thinking skills in the field of
business ethics and to approach ethical issues in business in a rational and systematic
way.
The book develops a number of specific methods for business ethics analysis
that are tailored for ethical decision-making in business and for analyzing complex
ethical topics in business. The book discusses fundamental ethical questions regarding
the meaning of business and the economy for the individual person, society, the
environment, and people around the world.
As a result, Business Ethics: Methods, Theories, and Application develops normative
guidelines for business in the 21st century and its fundamental challenges and will be
key reading for undergraduate, postgraduate, and MBA students of business ethics,
business strategy, business and society, and related fields.
This second edition is fully updated to recognize the changing nature of ethics and
corporate responsibility in a globalized world and includes online support material.
Christian U. Becker is a faculty member at the College of Business at Colorado State

University.
Business Ethics
Methods, Theories, and Application
Second Edition
Christian U. Becker
Designed cover image: Getty Images
Second edition published 2024
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2024 Christian U. Becker
The right of Christian U. Becker to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Routledge 2018
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-032-43141-3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-43140-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-36584-6 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003365846
Typeset in Sabon
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Access the Support Material: www.routledge.com/9781032431406
For
Elisa, Luca, and Luana
Contents
List of figures and tablesxi

About the authorxii
1 Introduction to business ethics1

1.1 What is the relationship between ethics and business? 1
1.1.1 The instrumental perspective of business ethics 2
1.1.2 The philosophical perspective of business ethics 4
1.2 The levels of business ethics 6
1.3 The relevance of business ethics: why is it important? 7
1.4 How to analyze and address ethical aspects of business:
the approach of this book 8
2 Ethical theory and its application to business contexts11

2.1 The meaning of ethics 11
2.1.1 Sources of everyday values and norms, and the function
of ethics 12
2.1.2 A definition of ethics 15
2.1.3 (How) is normative ethics possible? 17
2.2 Moral philosophy and methods for ethical decision-making 19
2.2.1 Utilitarianism 19
2.2.2 Kantian ethics 26
2.2.3 Virtue ethics 33
2.3 Applying ethical theory to case analysis and ethical decision-making
in business 38
2.3.1 Case 1: the underperforming friend 38
2.3.2 Case 2: XYZ Shoes, Inc. 42
2.3.3 Case 3: free chocolate cake 46
2.4 More ethical theories: ethics of care, Rawlsian ethics, discourse
ethics 49
2.4.1 Ethics of care 49
2.4.2 Rawlsian ethics 51
2.4.3 Discourse ethics 51
2.4.4 Overview: methods for ethical analysis and
decision-making 52
viii Contents
3 Conceptions of the economy and business: ethical aspects54
3.1 Basic definitions and ethical questions 54
3.2 Adam Smith: beginnings of modern economic thought 56
3.3 Modern economics: rational choice and systemic interaction 59
3.3.1 Public goods 60
3.3.2 External effects 60
3.4 The ethical underpinning of capitalism 62
3.4.1 Efficiency 62
3.4.2 Competition 62
3.4.3 Optimal balance and satisfaction of individual
self-interests 63
3.4.4 Support of individual freedom and equal opportunities 64
3.4.5 Promotion of overall societal welfare 64
3.5 Criticism of capitalism 65
3.5.1 Traditional criticism 65
3.5.2 Fundamental ethical principles and criticism 68
3.5.3 New criticism 69
3.6 Shifting norms: the expanded ethical framework of the 21st-century
economy 72
3.7 Excursus: two tales of the pencil 73
3.7.1 Tale of the pencil: the neoclassical version by Milton
Friedman 73
3.7.2 An alternative tale of the pencil: considering external costs
and sustainability 74
3.8 Summary and outlook: the relevance of contemporary business
ethics 75
4 Organizational ethics: ethics of corporations, companies,

and other business organizations78
4.1 What is the moral responsibility of a business? 79
4.1.1 The concept of responsibility 79
4.1.2 Business-specific (company-specific) responsibilities 82
4.2 Methods for determining business-specific responsibilities 83
4.2.1 Determining business-specific responsibilities based on an
Ethical Life Cycle Assessment (ELCA) 83
4.2.2 Determining business-specific responsibilities based on an
Ethical Stakeholder Analysis (ESA) 95
4.3 Corporate Responsibility (CR) 99
4.3.1 A broader perspective on the overall responsibilities of a
modern business 99
4.3.2 Defining CR 102
4.3.3 Justification of CR: the business case and ethical reasons 104
4.4 Methodology for CR analysis and CR design 108
Contents ix
4.5 Internal ethics and culture of organizations 112
4.5.1 Ethical culture of organizations 113
4.5.2 Underpinnings and characteristics of a strong ethical
culture 113
4.5.3 How to develop and support a strong ethical culture 116
4.6 Ethics and compliance programs 118
4.6.1 Elements of an ethics and compliance program 118
4.6.2 Reasons for implementing an ethics and compliance
program 120
4.7 DEI: diversity, equity, and inclusion 123
4.7.1 Ethical perspective 124
4.7.2 Business perspective 126
4.7.3 Dimension and characteristics of DEI issues: some
examples 127
4.7.4 Societal perspective: underlying societal issues and topics 129
4.7.5 DEI programs 130
4.8 ESG: environmental, social, and governance 132
4.8.1 Definition of ESG 132
4.8.2 Ethical and business aspects of ESG 133
4.8.3 Application of ESG in business practice 134
4.8.4 Reporting guidelines, regulation, and verification 135
5 Individuals in the world of business: ethical aspects of specific

roles and professions139
5.1 Ethical aspects of being an employee 139
5.1.1 Moral rights of employees 140
5.1.2 Responsibilities of employees 144
5.2 Ethical aspects of leadership 145
5.2.1 What defines great leadership? 145
5.2.2 What are ethical foundations of leadership? 147
5.3 Professional ethics 153
5.3.1 Professional ethics and moral self-identity 153
5.3.2 Core principles of professional ethics 154
5.3.3 The example of the accounting profession 157
5.4 Ethical challenges of working in specific business functions: the
example of marketing ethics 159
5.4.1 Normative guidelines for marketing 160
5.4.2 Ethical challenges in marketing 161
5.5 Whistleblowing 166
5.5.1 Whistleblowing: definition and ethical aspects 166
5.5.2 A method for analyzing whistleblowing situations 168
5.5.3 Organizational aspects 170
5.5.4 Personal aspects 171
5.5.5 Societal aspects 171
x Contents
6 Global business ethics174
6.1 Global business ethics: cases 174
6.1.1 Case 1: child labor and slavery in the global chocolate
industry 175
6.1.2 Case 2: outsourcing of manufacturing jobs 178
6.1.3 Case 3: the globalization of e-waste 180
6.2 Ethical challenges of globalization and global business 182
6.3 Global business ethics: principles 184
6.3.1 Basic global business ethics 185
6.3.2 Advanced global business ethics 187
7 Economic and ethical challenges of the Anthropocene: sustainability191

7.1 The challenge of sustainability and ethical implications 192
7.1.1 The concept of sustainability 192
7.1.2 The ethics of sustainability 193
7.1.3 The relevance of sustainability 194
7.2 Sustainable economy and sustainable business 195
7.2.1 Reasons why businesses should care about sustainability 196
7.2.2 Sustainability as a business opportunity and business task:
examples 199
7.3 New business models: purpose-driven businesses, social enterprises,
and the benefit corporation 202
Conclusion207
Index209
Figures and tables
Figures
1.1 The instrumental perspective of business ethics 3
1.2 The philosophical perspective of business ethics 5
1.3 The levels of business ethics 7
2.1 The status of right and wrong in normative ethics 18
2.2 Applying the utilitarian method 21
2.3 Overview: methods for ethical decision-making 52
3.1 Characteristics and ethical challenges of the 21st-century economy 69
3.2 Traditional and new ethical questions about the economy 71
3.3 Traditional and new criteria for business being a positive force 72
4.1 The elements of organizational ethics 79
4.2 The four steps of the ELCA method 87
4.3 The four steps of the ESA method 99
4.4 The pillar model of corporate responsibility 102
4.5 Method for CR analysis 109
5.1 Criteria defining great leadership 146
5.2 Ten principles of ethical leadership 148
5.3 Elements of moral self-identity 155
5.4 The main ethical dilemma underlying the whistleblowing situation 168
5.5 Method for analyzing whistleblowing situations 169
6.1 The triangle of basic global business ethics 186
Tables
2.1 Utilitarian analysis of the example case: helping or not in case
of an accident 23
2.2 Utilitarian analysis of case 1: the underperforming friend 40
4.1 ELCA of a smartphone: steps I and II 89
About the author
Christian U. Becker lives with his family in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, and is a
faculty member at the College of Business at Colorado State University. He earned
his PhD in economics from Heidelberg University (2003) and his Habilitation in
philosophy from Kaiserslautern University (2010). Christian U. Becker’s primary
research and teaching interests are in theoretical and applied ethics, the history of
economic thought, and sustainability studies. He has taught business ethics for more
than eighteen years in Germany, Canada, and the United States. Christian U. Becker
has published on ethical and economic topics in various journals, such as Archives
for Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy; Ecological Economics; Ethical Theory
and Moral Practice; Ethics, Policy and Environment; Environmental Values; and
European Journal for the History of Economic Thought.
1 Introduction to business ethics
This book provides a systematic approach to business ethics. Based on ethical the-
ory and economic thought, the book develops tailored methods for analyzing and
addressing ethical challenges of business practice. The book addresses ethical topics
at the individual, organizational, societal, systemic, and global levels and discusses a
range of business ethics topics, such as ethical decision-making in business contexts,
professional ethics, leadership ethics, organizational ethics, corporate responsibility
strategies, whistleblowing, global business ethics, and sustainability ethics. The meth-
ods developed in this book are specifically designed to address ethical challenges of
business in the 21st century. A particular focus is on new challenges that result from
the global character and increasing complexity of modern business, as well as from
issues of sustainability.
At the center of this book are core questions of business ethics:
• What is the relationship between ethics and business?

• What ethical aspects matter in business and economic contexts?
• How can one analyze and effectively address ethical issues in business?
Various aspects of these questions are discussed in detail, and answers are provided
throughout the book. However, to introduce the topic, the remainder of this chapter
will outline some aspects of, and fundamental perspectives to, these questions.
1.1 What is the relationship between ethics and business?

Someone may intuitively think that ethics, the sphere of the right and the good, and
business, the sphere of providing goods and services for profit, do not have much
in common, do not go well together, or even contradict each other. This book will
argue to the contrary: ethics and business are interrelated in various ways, and it is
important for the success of business and the wellbeing of individuals and society
that ethics and business are properly correlated. A specific focus of the book is on the
proper implementation of ethics in business so that it contributes to business success
and ensures that business is a positive force for society and in the world. We will dem-
onstrate the crucial role of ethics for business and emphasize that a substantial lack
of ethics is a serious risk for business and can result in large damage to both business
and society.
Of course, there can be conflicts between business goals and ethical norms.
These may not be as common as one might think, and sometimes such conflicts
DOI: 10.4324/9781003365846-1
are only perceived conflicts and not actual dilemmas. However, the book discusses
typical dilemmas in business contexts, such as whistleblowing, and develops tools
to analyze and address them. On the other hand, it is also important to uncover
apparent dilemmas and myths about conflicts of ethics and business. It is generally
more fruitful to first identify the potential win-win between ethics and business,
understand how ethics and business can support each other, and explore ways
to realize this win-win potential. This approach allows one to better distinguish
actual, serious areas of conflict between business and ethics, identify real dilem-
mas, and address them properly.
On a more fundamental level, though, the current economy has systemic ethical
limitations, particularly with regard to adequate ethical consideration of future gen-
erations and the environment. The book identifies and discusses such systemic ethical
shortcomings of the capitalist market economy. It argues for a reconsideration of
the ethical underpinnings of the 21st-century economy and suggests a broader ethi-
cal framework for future business. Some normative shifts can already be observed in
today’s business practice, and the capitalist market economy may be capable of an
inherent ethical reorientation to meet the ethical challenges of the Anthropocene, the
age of human dominance on Earth.
Ultimately, ethics as the field that studies the right and the good provides the refer-
ence points for normative and evaluative perspectives on business and the economy.
Ethics conceptualizes normative frameworks against which the right and the good in
business can be evaluated, guidelines for responsible business can be developed, and
business as positive force and a good economy can be defined.
For discussing the relationship between ethics and business, we will throughout
this book distinguish and apply two fundamental perspectives: the instrumental per-
spective, which considers ethics as a factor for business success, and the philosophical
perspective, which considers ethics as a framework to define good business and a good
economy. We outline the main characteristics of both perspectives in the following.
1.1.1 The instrumental perspective of business ethics

The instrumental perspective of business ethics considers the function of ethics for
business. The crucial questions here are: What is the meaning of ethics for business?
Does ethics matter, and is it useful for business practice? In this perspective, one wants
to know in what ways ethics is relevant for business and business success. The task of
business ethics is to develop ethical tools that support business success and to provide
knowledge of how to optimally implement such tools into business strategies, opera-
tions, and organizational design (see Figure 1.1).
There are many ways in which ethics matters for business success. A few examples
illustrate this. On a basic level, ethical values and principles matter for everyday busi-
ness activities and are an inherent part of successful business. For instance, consider
small businesses that operate in one location, a smaller town or city, and serve mainly
local customers. Honesty, reliability, and trustworthiness are crucial factors for the
long-term success of such a business. If the business starts using unethical practices,
e.g., by tricking or disrespecting customers and suppliers, it probably will not stay in
business long. Generally, as the Internet today allows for reviews to quickly spread
and for customers to share information about businesses, ethical business practice
becomes increasingly crucial for business success.
Introduction to business ethics 3
Figure 1.1 The instrumental perspective of business ethics.
Another example for the relevance of ethics for business is the proper organiza-
tional functioning of larger corporations. The success of corporations depends on
various ethical factors, such as a sound ethical culture, ethical leadership, proper
design and implementation of rules and policies, proactive prevention of internal fric-
tions and wrongdoing, and a shared commitment of the leadership and employees to
the core values of the company. Lack of organizational ethics can result in significant
risks and harm for a business. For instance, an ethically corrupt culture, internal
frictions, and distrust can undermine successful work. Significant instances of inter-
nal wrongdoings, such as harassment cases, stealing from the company, and bribery
cases, can threaten business success and result in serious legal issues. In contrast, a
strong ethical culture promotes respect, care, fairness, and equality; empowers indi-
viduals to thrive and grow; builds teamwork and community; promotes excellence;
and, with all this, supports business success. Ethical aspects are also important for
managing the relationship of a corporation with its external framework; that is, its
stakeholders and the societies in which it operates. The downfall of Enron in 2001 or
the VW emission scandal in 2015 show that lack of ethics can do significant harm to
a company, its stakeholders, and society.
A third example of why ethics matters in business contexts is the relevance of
ethics for individual careers. Ethical principles, values, and virtues matter in profes-
sional life. Two main factors are crucial for a successful career: excellent professional
knowledge and display of professional ethics. Basic ethical principles, such as integ-
rity, reliability, and responsibility, matter for any position and career. In addition,
certain positions or professions require ethical principles that are specifically rele-
vant to them. For accountants, accuracy and objectivity are crucial; engineers have a
specific responsibility for public safety; leaders need to be responsible and fair; and
employees are expected to be reliable and trustworthy. Also, in professional life, one
can encounter various ethically difficult situations and dilemmas and may have to
make, communicate, and justify tough decisions. It is crucial to be able to clearly
identify the rationales, values, and principles that guide such decisions.
The book discusses the various functions of ethics in business systematically and
in detail and provides methods for using ethical reflection and ethical instruments in
business practice. For practical purposes, it is not only crucial to develop an ability to
understand and identify the various functions of ethics for business; it is also impor-
tant to determine how to effectively apply ethics in business contexts and decisions.
For this, the book develops various tailored methods for addressing a range of busi-
ness ethics applications.
From an instrumental perspective, it is also crucial to understand that business eth-
ics is a highly dynamic and increasingly complex challenge. Businesses are constantly
facing new ethical challenges and need to have tools to recognize and effectively
address new and shifting ethical landscapes. There are, for instance, new ethical
challenges in business that result from technological progress, such as ethical chal-
lenges of artificial intelligence, issues of security and privacy related to data storage
and analysis, or ethical challenges and risks related to social media use. Another set
of new ethical challenges for business results from the increasing globalization and
global complexity of modern business. In global contexts, businesses need to develop
the ability to reasonably interconnect different normative requirements: adherence
to their own values, principles, and rules; compliance with various legal frameworks
of the countries in which they operate; and following fundamental global principles,
such as human rights and respecting cultural differences. Current and future business
also faces fundamental systemic challenges, such as the challenge of sustainability.
Due to systemic environmental limits on a global scale, businesses increasingly must
assume responsibility for the environmental, global, and future effects of their busi-
ness operations, supply chains, and product life cycles. The ability to systematically
analyze these challenges is crucial for long-term business success and an important
aspect of strategic management.
1.1.2 The philosophical perspective of business ethics

The philosophical perspective on the relationship between ethics and business starts
from an ethical viewpoint to discuss the meaning of business and the economy for
individual wellbeing, good societies, and being a positive force in the world. The
philosophical perspective considers ethics as a fundamental normative and evalua-
tive framework against which good business and a good economy can be defined.
Business and the economy are not seen as values or ends in themselves, but rather as
contributing to more fundamental values in life and societies, which are the subject
of ethical and philosophical reflections (Figure 1.2.) The philosophical perspective is
important for an encompassing business ethics approach, for fully understanding the
relation between ethics and business, and for fully grasping the meaning of ethics for
business practice.
We will illustrate the philosophical perspective with a few examples. Traditional
philosophical ethics asks questions such as: What are right actions? What is a good
life? What is a good and just society? Economic and business aspects are relevant to
such questions. We all participate in some way or the other in the economy: as con-
sumers, entrepreneurs, investors, employees, or professionals. On an individual level,
Figure 1.2 The philosophical perspective of business ethics.
one may wonder how these economic aspects of life fit into one’s overall life plans,
personal values, and ideas of a good life. How much does a job, or career, or being a
professional in a certain field contribute to one’s overall self-identity and individual
happiness? How important are professional success, money, and material wealth in
comparison to other ends in life, such as family, health, friends, or hobbies? What is
a good work-life balance? If someone asks these questions, they consider the relation-
ship between ethics and business from a philosophical perspective. They consider
the ethical meaning of economic and business aspects against the backdrop of more
fundamental values and goals in life.
The philosophical perspective also includes more general ethical questions about
the economy and its role in society and the world: What is a good economy? How
does (a certain design of) the economy fit into the overall values of a society and
promote the flourishing of that society? How can we define and realize business as
a positive force in the world? Such questions have always been discussed. Defining
and developing optimal forms of economy have been crucial philosophical and politi-
cal topics throughout history. There are, for instance, (ethical) reasons for having a
capitalist market economy. Proponents of capitalism have argued that this type of
economy serves individuals and society best and supports fundamental ethical prin-
ciples, such as individual freedom and equality. Capitalism is supposed to provide
opportunities to everyone, enable everyone to choose a career and pursue goals, pro-
mote fair competition, reward performance, stimulate innovation and growth, and
realize an efficient allocation of goods and services (see Chapter 3).
However, in an ever-changing world and economy, we have to reassure ourselves
that the economy is still ‘good’ with regard to traditional ethical criteria, and we
also need to discuss whether these ethical criteria are still sufficient to define a good
economy. In other words, we need to reflect on the question of what it means for
business in the 21st century to be a positive force in the world against the backdrop
of the characteristics of today’s economy and the challenges of the Anthropocene, the
age of human dominance on earth, which is characterized by a significant overuse of
the planet’s resources and sinks. One needs to carefully analyze ethical aspects of the
current economic system and consider whether the economy needs modification to
properly address new ethical challenges and normative requirements. For instance,
new ethical challenges result from the issues of sustainability. In the sustainability
perspective, the economy needs to not only be good for our current society and its
individuals but also consider future generations, nature, and people around the world.
Contemporary business thus faces new ethical challenges and needs to consider new
ethical requirements to be a positive force in the world. Such new ethical challenges
are significantly influencing today’s business practice and are broadly addressed in
crucial current business ethics approaches, such as corporate responsibility strategies
or environmental, social, and governance (ESG) (see Chapters 4 and 7). Business is an
important and powerful societal force, and it is imperative to make this force fruitful
for addressing societal challenges and for positively contributing to the future devel-
opment and flourishing of society.
This book will overall consider both the instrumental perspective and the philo-
sophical perspective outlined earlier. Ultimately, both perspectives are interconnected.
A key function of business ethics is to properly relate business to its societal contexts,
i.e., to the norms and values of stakeholders and society. With this, the internal func-
tion of ethics for business cannot be separated from the general ethical frameworks
of societies and the overall ethical expectations and reflections on business and the
economy. For an encompassing analysis of business ethics, the interrelation of both
perspectives needs to be considered.
1.2 The levels of business ethics

The functions of ethics in modern business are various and complex. There are many
ethical aspects of business, and one prerequisite for successfully addressing them is
to properly identify the type of ethical aspect that matters in a specific situation or
case. For instance, an ethical issue could be related to individual decision-making,
organizational design, the structures and the rules of the industry, or societal and
legal aspects or have a global dimension. The proper identification of the specific
type of ethical issue is crucial for successfully analyzing and solving the issue. This
book discusses the entire range of ethical aspects in modern business and distinguishes
issues on various levels. We discuss ethical aspects related to individuals in organiza-
tions and the economy, the organizational level, the level of the economic system, the
societal and legal frameworks, the global and environmental context, and the sustain-
ability context (Figure 1.3). This particularly includes new ethical challenges resulting
from global complexity and systemic environmental constraints and the ethical evalu-
ation of impacts of modern business to people around the world, future generations,
and nature.
It is important to properly identify what ethical issue belongs to which level, to
analyze the interrelation of different ethical levels, and to understand what level is
best suited to approach a specific ethical issue. Some ethical challenges cannot be fully
addressed by individuals but require an organizational approach and a solution on
Figure 1.3 The levels of business ethics.
the organizational level. Other challenges may even exceed the organizational level
and ability, and so may require concerted actions in the industry or societal and legal
solutions. However, even in such cases, individuals or organizations sometimes need
to make ethical decisions and take action by themselves, particularly in cases where
the level in charge does not, or cannot, fix the issue. With regard to more complex
ethical issues of business, a model of shared responsibilities might be the best answer
and solution. In a complex modern business world, many ethical issues are caused by
the interplay of various actors, such as companies, suppliers, customers, and regula-
tory agencies, each of which has some responsibility for an issue, and thus needs to
join together and make concerted efforts to address the issue (see Chapter 4).
1.3 The relevance of business ethics: why is it important?

Ethics has become increasingly relevant for business for various reasons. First of
all, the ethical challenges of business have become increasingly complex due to glo-
balization, technological developments, and sustainability issues. Businesses need
sophisticated and tailored tools to meet these challenges, manage related risks, and
recognize implications for strategic management. Analyzing and addressing ethical
aspects related to one’s business can help identify new opportunities, markets, and
competitive advantages and also helps to identify and avoid risks and potential dam-
age to the business. Neglect of, or insufficient dealings with, ethical aspects can result
in substantial damages and costs. Examples such as the Enron scandal of 2001, the
financial crisis of 2008, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, or the VW emissions
scandal in 2015 show the harm that can result from a lack of ethics for business,
society, and the environment.
Ethical challenges are often at the same time business opportunities or can be
turned into business opportunities. It would therefore be too narrow to see ethics as a
restriction, hindrance, or unavoidable burden of business practice. Integrating ethical
analysis into strategic management can reveal many new business opportunities, such
as further efficiency potentials, new markets, new ways to more robust supply chains,
overall improved products and product life cycles, ethical branding, and reputation
gains. More and more corporations and smaller businesses are using ethics as a stra-
tegic management tool, and we will discuss several examples later in the book. There
is a strong business case for perceiving ethics this way. As many ethical concerns
and challenges are directly related to systemic real-world issues, particularly global
environmental constraints and societal issues, it is crucial for businesses to carefully
consider the implications for their own operations and products and strategically con-
sider solutions to these issues that make them more competitive.
There are also increasing societal and legal expectations for business. The ethical
expectations of stakeholders have increased in recent years. Consumers, communi-
ties, employees, and investors increasingly make value-based economic decisions and
demand more ethical responsibility from businesses. Also, there have been more legal
requirements for business ethics. For instance, in the United States, legal frameworks,
such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, and the US sentencing guidelines,
require businesses to develop, and adhere to, various ethical standards and proce-
dures to ensure ethical integrity and to pay more attention to ethical aspects of their
organization and operations. Against the backdrop of increasing societal and legal
expectations, businesses have increasingly adopted ethical instruments, such as ethics
and compliance programs and corporate responsibility strategies (see Chapter 4). The
overall increased demand for business ethics has also led many business colleges to
integrate business ethics into their curriculum in order to prepare future employees
and business leaders for the complex ethical challenges in modern business, prepare
them to understand the function of ethics for business, and enable them to effectively
implement ethical tools to promote business success.
Finally, business ethics provides a fundamental level of reflection for business.
Many people participate in one way or another in the business world, and most
people in business probably want to have a positive impact on the world with their
professional activities. Business ethics is a tool of self-reflection and guidance: How
can we ensure that business is a positive force for society and the world, and what
ethical norms should guide us in shaping the future of business? This self-reassurance
and guidance are not only crucial for business but also for society and its future.
1.4 How to analyze and address ethical aspects of business: the

approach of this book
This book relates ethical theory to applications in business contexts by developing
tailored methods for addressing ethical issues in business. The methods provided aim
to simplify complex philosophical theories and make them applicable for analysis and
decision-making in business. Further, theoretical and conceptual elements of modern
economic thought are considered in as far as they have ethical relevance and contrib-
ute to the internal ethics of the economy and business.
Successfully analyzing and addressing ethical aspects of business requires solid
knowledge of ethics and an understanding of the ethically relevant characteristics of
the contemporary economy. The approach of this book thus is grounded in funda-
mentals of ethics and economic thought. The traditional reference point for ethical
analysis is philosophical ethics. Philosophy has developed ethical approaches for more
than 2000 years and offers various methods to analyze ethical issues. This book refers
to important approaches of philosophical ethics as theoretical background, such as
utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, virtue ethics, ethics of care, Rawlsian ethics, and dis-
course ethics. With regard to these theories, the focus of the book is not so much on
philosophical details but more on the main theoretical aspects and characteristics of
each approach. The aim is to break theory down into applicable methods that can be
used in business contexts. We will develop a set of basic methods for ethical analysis
and ethical decision-making that can then easily be applied to business situations.
Although ethical theory is an important reference point for business ethics, its
simple application is not sufficient for analyzing all aspects of today’s business. We
also will develop more specific methods to address specific characteristics and ethi-
cal aspects of modern business practice. This includes, for instance, the internal and
external aspects of organizational ethics, the ethical aspects of specific individual roles
in businesses, ethical aspects of globalization and sustainability challenges, and ethi-
cal aspects of certain business functions and professional roles. The book develops
tailored methods to properly analyze and address such specific ethical aspects of busi-
ness. We will refer to various aspects of organizational ethics and develop methods for
ethically analyzing stakeholder relationships, supply chains, and product life cycles.
We will provide methods for evaluating corporate responsibility strategies, and we
will analyze professional responsibilities and leadership ethics. The underlying meth-
odological approach here is twofold: we consider the economic or business function
of specific areas or individual roles in business to determine related specific ethical
requirements and challenges, and we consider new ethical challenges and require-
ments resulting from the (systemic) characteristics of today’s complex business world.
The book specifically considers the background of economic theory and the history
of economic thought, as well as ethical assumptions and implications related to the
concept of the capitalist market economy.
The remainder of the book is organized as follows: Chapter 2 introduces ethics and
develops a set of methods for case analysis and ethical decision-making in business
contexts. The focus is on utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, and virtue ethics. The chap-
ter (i) discusses the philosophical background of these approaches, (ii) breaks them
down to basic methods for ethical decision-making, (iii) provides basic examples of
application, and (iv) suggests exercises to practice them. The application to business
cases is demonstrated in detail with three example cases. The chapter also introduces
further ethical methods based on ethics of care, Rawlsian ethics, and discourse ethics.
Overall, the chapter develops eight methods for ethical analysis and decision-making.
With this, the chapter lays the methodological background in ethics for the remainder
of the book.
Chapter 3 reflects on the various normative aspects of the economy and business. It
critically discusses the ethical underpinnings of modern capitalism and the new ethi-
cal challenges of the economy of the 21st century. The chapter identifies and reflects
on the various norms and values attached to the capitalist market economy and pre-
sents various types of criticism of capitalism from an ethical viewpoint. A particular
focus is on the question how we can define and realize business and the economy as
a positive force in the 21st century. The chapter illustrates that the characteristics
and new (ethical) challenges of the 21st-century economy require a reconsideration
of the ethical foundations of modern business. Overall, Chapters 2 and 3 are more
theoretical and provide the methodological underpinnings for the following, more
applied chapters.
Chapter 4 discusses ethical aspects of the organizational level. The chapter defines
the concepts of responsibility and business-specific responsibility and introduces two
methods for identifying and addressing the business-specific responsibilities of a given
company: Ethical Life Cycle Assessment (ELCA) and Ethical Stakeholder Analysis
(ESA). The chapter then defines corporate responsibility (CR) and introduces the pil-
lar model of CR, which encompasses the various responsibilities of a modern business
in the 21st-century economy. The chapter also develops a method for analyzing and
evaluating CR strategies. Further, the chapter discusses various aspects of internal
organizational ethics. It specifically covers the topics of ethical culture; diversity,
equity, and inclusion (DEI); and ethics and compliance programs. Finally, ESG is dis-
cussed as approach that combines certain aspects of organizational ethics.
Chapter 5 focuses on ethical aspects of specific roles, functions, or positions that
individuals can have in business contexts. The chapter demonstrates that certain roles,
functions, or positions usually come with specific ethical challenges and responsi-
bilities. The chapter discusses the ethical aspects of crucial functions in detail: ethical
aspects of being an employee, ethical leadership, and professional ethics. Marketing
ethics is discussed as an example for ethical aspects of a specific business field. Finally,
the chapter discusses whistleblowing as a specific ethical dilemma of individuals in the
business context.
Chapter 6 is about global business ethics. It discusses specific ethical challenges
and responsibilities that businesses face on the global level. The chapter starts with
three example cases to illustrate typical ethical issues in the global economy: child
labor in the chocolate industry, outsourcing of manufacturing jobs, and e-waste. The
chapter then explains the origins of certain ethical issues in the global context by the
specific characteristics of the global economic system. Finally, the chapter defines
ethical guidelines for global business by distinguishing two approaches: basic global
business ethics that comprises minimal ethical requirements for global business activi-
ties and advanced global business ethics that promotes business as a positive force in
the world.
Chapter 7 discusses sustainability from a business ethics perspective. Sustainability
is introduced as a major challenge for business and the economy against the back-
drop of the factual, economic, and ethical challenges of the Anthropocene, the age
of human dominance on earth. The chapter defines the concept of sustainability,
explains the ethical dimension of sustainability, and demonstrates the relevance of
sustainability for contemporary business. The chapter then discusses with examples
the challenges and the business opportunities resulting from sustainability, such as
efficiency gains, strategic advantages, and new markets. Finally, the chapter reflects
on normative changes in contemporary business and the resulting adaptions of the
legal framework for business using the example of the benefit corporation. The book
ends with a short overall conclusion.
2 Ethical theory and its application to
business contexts
Specific ethical topics require specifically tailored methods for properly analyzing
them. In this chapter, we develop a set of methods that can be applied to the analy-
sis of ethical issues in business contexts. For this, we refer to the tradition of moral
philosophy and established ethical theory and make the insights of philosophical eth-
ics fruitful for the purpose of this book. Established ethical theory can, as we will
demonstrate in this chapter, be directly used as a tool for ethical decision-making
and justification of decisions in business. The application of ethical theory to busi-
ness cases is limited, though, to certain types of cases and certain situations. In later
chapters we will further build on the ethical approaches developed in this chapter and
develop more complex methods for further types of business ethics cases.
We will start by introducing the subject matter and questions of ethics in general
and then outline the main ethical approaches of utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, and
virtue ethics.1 We discuss the application of these theories for the analysis and solu-
tion of ethical issues and for ethical decision-making in business contexts. Finally, we
will also refer to some additional, more recent ethical theories, such as ethics of care,
Rawlsian ethics, and discourse ethics, to complete our set of business ethics methods.
2.1 The meaning of ethics

We first want to clarify the concept of ethics. What is ethics about? Ethics generally
deals with norms and values, with questions of what is right and what is good, what
one ought to do and ought not to do, and what is a good person or life. Norms and
values have an important function for individuals and societies. They provide guid-
ance for individual actions and societal interactions.
In societal contexts, it is crucial to have some understanding and agreement about
basic rights and responsibilities, about how one should treat others and what one
can expect from them. This guarantees the functioning and the flourishing of socie-
ties and their members. Some norms and values are well established in our society.
For instance, freedom and equality are fundamental values, we have private property
rights, and stealing and harming others are considered wrong. In other cases, society
and individuals tackle more controversial and difficult normative questions: Is abor-
tion wrong? Is the death penalty just? Is health care a right? Despite the difficulties
of these questions and disagreement on the issues, people put a lot of thought into
them and discuss them a great deal because we understand their importance for our
lives and our society. Norms and values are also crucial for individuals and establish
a fundamental layer of motivation and decision-making. We might often do things
DOI: 10.4324/9781003365846-2
12 Ethical theory and its application to business contexts
simply because they are (economically) beneficial to us, and this can be quite alright.
However, we also make decisions and plan our lives based on norms and values. For
instance, we may reject an economically attractive action, deal, or job offer because
it is not in line with our values, looks shady, conflicts with fundamental norms, con-
tradicts what we stand for, potentially tarnishes our reputation and integrity, and so
on. Personal values are a crucial part of our self-identity. We strive for a good life
and wonder about doing right to others, specifically regarding difficult situations and
decisions. As these examples demonstrate, norms and values are crucial for society as
well as individual lives, and it is important that we properly establish them.
In many everyday situations, norms and values are actually not difficult, and we
do not even actively reflect on them. We know rather well what is right, what we are
supposed to do, and intuitively follow given norms and values. For instance, we know
that it is wrong to steal and that it is wrong to lie to our partner or parents about
serious issues; we know that we are supposed to keep commitments; we know what
is appropriate and inappropriate when interacting with others; we know that we are
not supposed to cut the line, or queue jump; we know that insider trading, bribery,
and certain types of price discrimination are wrong; and so on. There already exist a
large amount of written and unwritten norms, rules, principles, and values that guide
one’s actions.
Where do these norms and values come from, and how do we come to know them?
In modern, diverse, and dynamic societies like the United States, there are various
sources that provide such knowledge, and their influence on individual persons dif-
fers to some extent depending on personal and societal circumstances. An individual
learns many norms and values by socialization: from parents, friends, and school.
Through socialization, we learn what is right and wrong and apply it automatically
without explicit reflection. For instance, we do not need to reflect on the question: Is
it right or wrong to cut the line? We automatically do not cut the line – it is common
knowledge in our society. Another important source is the law. Many things we will
or won’t do because we know that there is a rule or a law that tells us what is right or
wrong. For instance, we do not need to make our own decision about the appropriate
speed on a specific road – a sign tells us the speed limit. In many cases, authorities are
crucial. Parents, teachers, and various other authorities provide us with norms and
values, either by formulating explicit rules or by being role models. Traditionally,
religion also has played a crucial role in establishing norms and values for individuals,
groups, or even entire societies.
2.1.1 Sources of everyday values and norms, and the function of ethics
There is an important difference between having values, knowing norms, getting them
from some of the sources discussed earlier, and acting according to them, on the
one hand, and explicitly thinking about values and norms by oneself or explicitly
discussing them with others, on the other. One can receive norms and values from
authorities, rules, religion, or custom and accept them as guidance for what is right
and wrong, or one can reflect on what is right and wrong and ask for reasons and
justification for norms and values. The latter, the explicit reflection on norms and val-
ues, is traditionally called ethics. The former, having values and norms, is sometimes
called morality to distinguish it from ethics.
Ethical theory and its application to business contexts 13
Ethics thus refers to another source from which every person can get norms and
values: human reason. In contrast to all other sources mentioned earlier, reason is an
internal reference point everyone can refer to, not an external one. Ethics assumes
that humans are beings endowed with reason who can ask themselves what is right
and wrong and make judgments about right and wrong actions. In other words, ethics
assumes that one does not need to be religious to be ethical, and one does not need
any authority telling one what to do in order to act ethically, but everyone has the
potential to be an ethical person just by virtue of one’s rational potential to reflect
on the question of right and wrong and to exchange rational arguments with others.2
Why do we need ethics? Why is reflecting on, and rational argumentation about,
norms and values important? What is the relevance and function of ethics if we already
have established external sources that tell us what is right and wrong, such as parents,
school, authorities, laws, rules, or religion? Against the background of the various
external sources of norms and values, ethics has a crucial function for every individual
person and for society. Ethics is the ultimate reference point and justification for right
and wrong actions as well as for institutions that establish and oversee societal norms
and values. Ethics is important because the sources mentioned previously cannot give
us complete and secure normative guidance for every situation. Ethics is the basic tool
for normative guidance that we have as human beings. In the following, I give some
examples to support this claim.
First, all external sources of norms and values discussed earlier are substantially
underspecified. They do not always provide complete, reliable ethical guidance. It
is possible that an authority issues unethical orders. Think, for instance, about evil
dictators. Additionally, no one can and should expect that authorities provide guid-
ance for every single decision and action. For instance, asking a supervisor for advice
for every small action would probably not be very well received. We expect in most
jobs, and particularly from well-trained professionals, that individuals have the abil-
ity to make their own judgments and decisions, at least to some extent. The law also
does not provide complete ethical guidance. Law and ethics are not equivalent. Not
all ethical aspects of life are ruled by laws, and not all laws are automatically ethical.
There is, for instance, no law that forbids lying to one’s partner or parents (except
contractual and similar contexts) about a serious matter. However, in most cases, one
would consider private lies as unethical, although they are technically legal. It is also
possible that a law is unethical. In extreme cases, it can even be the ethical right thing
to act against the law. For instance, in Nazi Germany there were laws that discrimi-
nated against Jews and led to their persecution and, ultimately, to the Holocaust. No
one would seriously claim that it was ethical to follow these laws, but rather that it
was ethical to resist them. Another example is actions during the civil rights move-
ment against some laws in the United States; for instance, when Rosa Parks broke the
law and freely chose a seat on the bus. The intention here was to protest against an
unethical law. Modern businesses increasingly operate globally and may connect to
areas in the world that show substantial lack of law or law enforcement. In such cases,
businesses need to decide for themselves what is the right thing to do and what actions
they should refrain from. Lack of law or loopholes in legal frameworks do not imply
that actions are ethically permissible. For instance, lacking laws against child labor or
forced labor in some areas in the world would not automatically imply that it is ethi-
cally OK for a business to employ children or use forced labor in this area.
Custom and etiquette are also not sufficient guidance for what is ethically right and
wrong. Generally, custom and etiquette are not so much about fundamental ethical
guidance, but rather about politeness and smooth societal interactions. In some cases,
customs and etiquette can become ethically relevant, though. Violation of custom and
etiquette could be ethical in certain situations. This would be the case if the etiquette
expresses and reinforces questionable norms. Think about, for instance, gender pat-
terns reinforced by fashion etiquette in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Acting
against such etiquette can be a form of ethically legitimate public protest against gen-
der patterns. Other serious ethical reasons may also override custom and etiquette,
even if we generally approve them. For instance, cutting the line is considered to be
wrong. Like many customs, the custom of lining up has an underlying reason that
supports and justifies it: lining up makes societal interaction smooth and avoids cha-
otic and potentially dangerous situations. However, there may be circumstances that
justify cutting the line as an ethically right action. Imagine a physician who needs to
get to an urgent surgery and is facing an unexpectedly long line at the rental car desk
after arriving at the airport. It may be justifiable in this case for the physician to cut
the line, and one may expect others to agree that this is the ethically right action. On
the other hand, however, it can be unethical to ignore customs, e.g., if someone visits
another culture and deliberately ignores customs and, by doing so, offends people
unnecessarily. This could be considered disrespectful.
A second reason why reflection on, and rational argumentation about, norms and
values is crucial is the occurrence of conflicts and dilemmas. The various sources
that provide us with norms and values can sometimes contradict each other. In such
a conflicted situation, a person needs to ethically reflect and make a personal deci-
sion about what the right thing to do is. Other common types of conflict arise from
conflicting values or norms themselves. It is not always the case that all our personal
norms and values are in accordance with each other and give clear advice about the
right thing to do in each situation. It can happen that we have, for instance, duties,
obligations, or responsibilities to various persons, which we cannot all satisfy at the
same time. We may have professional duties, duties to friends, family members, our
community, and so on. We can come into situations in which we face a serious con-
flict between those. For instance, if you work in a human resources department and
have confidential knowledge that a very good friend is going to get fired and you
also know that he is just about to make a long-term investment buying a new home,
should you tell that friend or not? Should you override your professional duty of
confidentiality by the virtue of friendship? Such a situation, in which one is stuck
between conflicting values, norms, or principles, is called an ethical dilemma (see also
Section 5.5). In such cases, we need to ethically reflect on our entire set of values,
norms, and principles – on our various duties, obligations, and responsibilities – and
make a decision about their hierarchical order: What norm or value has priority and
overrides others in such a conflict?
A third reason for the importance of ethical considerations is novelty and change.
We live in a highly dynamic world that is changing quickly and producing new situ-
ations and ethical challenges that no rules, laws, or etiquette has thus far anticipated.
For instance, new technologies in medicine and information technology and the emer-
gence of social media have all resulted in new types or options for action and in new
ethical challenges and questions of what is right and wrong. Increasing dynamics and
Ethical theory and its application to business contexts 15
change is one reason why ethical reflection today is more important and more chal-
lenging than in previous times.
Overall, ethical reflection is crucial to guide our actions, and it is becoming
increasingly important for all the reasons discussed earlier, and particularly for mod-
ern businesses. Ethical challenges in business have become more complex due to the
increasing dynamic, global complexity and sustainability challenges of today’s busi-
ness world, and the ability to address ethical challenges is crucial for successfully
managing modern businesses. Ethics is crucial for ensuring the normative foundation
of organizations and institutions; ethics is crucial for making decisions in cases of
conflicts and dilemmas; and ethics is crucial for making decisions when facing new
situations or situations that lack ethical guidance. In all these cases, one needs to have
the ability to reflect on the question of what would be the right thing to do and to
make and justify a decision.
It is also important to develop the ability to properly judge whether ethical reflec-
tion is necessary in a situation. It may not be fruitful to start a fundamental ethical
discussion about each small issue. This can unnecessarily undermine efficiency and
effective action. On the other hand, it can be dangerous to not recognize the need
for ethical reflection in serious situations. For instance, it would be dangerous if the
traveling physician whose patient’s life is at stake lacks the ability of ethical decision-
making and just lines up at the rental car desk as usual, instead of cutting the line
claiming an emergency. It is an important ability and exercise to ask from time to
time, particularly in crucial situations: Is what I do (still) in line with who I want
to be? Is the action in line with my personal values and fundamental ethical princi-
ples? Pressures can be high in business contexts, and forces can pull people in various
directions. It is important to have and maintain an inner moral compass to guide
one’s actions. Ideally, businesses and organizations offer positive challenges and ethi-
cal guidance themselves, e.g., by organizational shared values and ethical leadership.
Such positive forces can support individual members’ professional, personal, and
moral development. However, one has to be aware that this is not always the case and
be prepared to recognize, and potentially resist, negative and ethically unacceptable
pressures in one’s professional career.
2.1.2 A definition of ethics

To review the discussion so far, ethics is not having values and norms, receiving them
from other sources, and intuitively acting according to them. Rather, ethics is the
explicit systematic reflection on values and norms.
Definition 2.1: Ethics is the systematic reflection on values and norms: their con-
tent and changes and their meaning, justification, and determination.
Generally, there are different ways of reflecting on values and norms. First, one can
identify, analyze, and explain norms or values in a given society or group. I call this
empirical ethics. Questions of interest in empirical ethics are: What values and norms
exist in a specific group? What function do they have for the interaction within the
group? Where do the norms and values come from and how are they established?
How do the norms and values change over time? Such questions concern empirical
subject matter and are studied in the (social) sciences, such as psychology, sociology,
and anthropology. Empirical studies of norms and values have been of increasing
interest in the business context. It is of interest to understand which norms and values
have what functions in what areas of business. For instance, which types of behav-
ior, strategic action, or bluffing are typically accepted in business negotiations and
which are not? What is respected as toughness in negotiations, and what would be
considered rough, aggressive, and inappropriate? Somewhat differently, what ethical
qualities do employees expect from leaders? Would certain ethical qualities make
employees more trusting and apt to follow? The analysis of such questions is of direct
practical relevance for business, and it can help to optimize the functions of ethical
elements in business contexts.
However, such analyses are not at the core of traditional philosophical ethics, as
they do not actually deal with and answer normative questions like: What is the right
thing to do? What is right in action and life? What is good character or a good per-
son? What kind of person should I become? These are all classical questions in moral
philosophy. Traditional philosophical ethics aims to analyze and answer such ques-
tions, and we will call this way of reflecting on norms and values normative ethics.
The following example illustrates the difference between empirical and normative
ethics. A mafia organization may be quite successful in achieving its goals. One might
want to study what role values and norms have in the operations and success of this
organization. One may figure out that specific, strictly enforced norms, such as con-
fidentiality and absolute obedience, are crucial for the mafia organization’s success,
and some character traits, such as brutality and recklessness, are highly evaluated and
admired among its members. One can also study how these norms are implemented
and enforced in the organization: possibly by pressure, intimidation, and force.
Through empirical ethical studies, one can get a pretty good understanding of what
norms and values exist in this organization, what function they have, and how they
are implemented. However, what is not addressed is the simple but important ques-
tion of whether the mafia is a good organization at all, or whether the mafia’s values
and norms are good and its actions are right. These are normative questions which
cannot be analyzed by the methods of social sciences but require specific methods
from normative ethics. We will explore these in detail in the remainder of this chapter.
A third field of ethical analysis is analytical ethics, which has been a larger field of
study in 20th-century philosophy, particularly in the United States. Analytical ethics
is engaged in the systematic reasoning about the use and meaning of evaluative and
normative concepts. It engages in questions such as: What is the meaning of the con-
cept good? How is this concept used, and how is it related to other concepts? There
is no well-established field of analytical business ethics, but questions of analytical
ethics certainly matter for business ethics. Many concepts in business, and specifically
economic concepts, are value-laden or have some normative or evaluative conno-
tation. For instance, profit is not a mere technical term defined by revenue minus
costs. In business, profit has a normative connotation: usually, profit is considered
to be good and one is supposed to strive for profit maximization. However, profit
is not an ultimate norm or value, and there might be ethical considerations to forgo
profit, e.g., if generating profit involves harmful or criminal activities. Identifying the
normative dimension of concepts and statements is a prerequisite for proper ethical
analysis. In practical contexts, normative and factual statements are often mixed,
which can mislead decision-making and discussions. For clarity of ethical reflection of
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Ten days later, as Anna Evauovna walked through the village, she
stopped at the door of the isba belonging to Ivan’s parents. There in
the doorway sat Grusha, the bride, peeling potatoes for the evening
meal, as unmoved and uninterested as if she had been peeling
potatoes in Ivan’s doorway for years. She had gone from one isba to
another: She had peeled her father’s potatoes, and now peeled
Ivan’s—that was all.
“Good luck to you, Grusha,” said Anna Evauovna. “But I suppose
you think you have luck by the forelock, as Ivan was faithful to you in
all that time.”
“Yes,” answered Grusha indifferently, splashing a potato in the
bowl of water.
“You have all you waited for—if I may say so and bring no ill-luck.”
“I have everything,” Grusha replied without enthusiasm.
Anna Evauovna looked at the girl’s stolid face, and laughed aloud.
“But you have lost one thing that you can not get back, Grusha.
You can never again wonder if Ivan is going to be faithful. An
unsatisfied wish is a fine thing to have, my child.”
She walked off still laughing, leaving Grusha puzzled and vexed.
At the corner the old woman met the bridegroom and gave him
greeting also.
“What a man you are, Ivan, to keep a girl faithful to you in all those
months. Were you not surprised at finding Grusha unmarried?”
Ivan scratched his head meditatively.
“I was surprised,” he said finally.
“And grateful?” asked Anna Evauovna.
“And grateful,” repeated Ivan, slowly.
“What would you have done if you had found her married?”
“Heaven bless me! If she had not waited, I could have found
another.”
Anna Evauovna nodded.
“They grow thickly, these women, but now you can settle down
quietly after your wanderings, Ivan.”
Ivan turned his cap round on his hand, and shook his head.
“Wandering is not bad, Anna Evauovna. One sees men and
women then. A man does not care so much to live in one place after
he sees the world. But we shall get on nicely, I suppose.”
Anna Evauovna walked on, her wrinkled old face all puckered with
laughter.
“That is what comes of what one waits and wearies for,” she said
to herself.
As she passed the hedge, behind which she had watched Ivan’s
home-coming, she heard two voices on the other side, and paused
to listen. A man and a woman were talking earnestly together.
“But you know it was you I always loved, Masha,” said the deeper
tones. It was Alioscha speaking.
Anna Evauovna went on her way, bending double with laughter.
She did not need to hear the answer Masha gave—for she knew all
things, did Anna Evauovna.
THE END
“Death and Love.”
Drawn by Clarence Herbert Rowe.

DEATH and LOVE.
Thus runs the maxim, “All are born to die.”

Grief follows joy as twilight follows day.
Old loves depart and beauty will not stay.
Wherefore, too sad to weep, henceforth must I
Encounter only Death, the Passer-By.
For every pleasure we with sorrow pay,
We are but dreamers, dreaming dreams by day.
Yet there be those who suffer cruelly
Who find a rainbow in their cup of tears.
Smiles beget smiles on faces sad as ours,
The pale moonlight silvers the sobbing sea.
One love supreme and constant through the years
Is dearer than fine rubies, sweet as flowers,
Sweet and as dear as that you gave to me.
—William Theodore Peters.

CHANNOAH
BY EDWARD LUCAS WHITE
The garden had been overgrown these three years. As the house
was tenantless nothing was ever trimmed or cut and the paths
skinned over with the green of intrusive weeds. The shrubs
expanded into masses of high dense leafage, the roses had run into
long stems that covered the walls or wound under the tall wavy
grass, the annuals had seeded themselves till they mingled in every
bed, and the whole was a delightful wilderness, more flowery than
any wood and more woodland than any garden. Milly and Jack
regarded the place as their own special domain. The house
belonged to Milly’s father and they were left to enjoy the garden
unwatched and undisturbed. Because their fathers were partners in
business they had made up their minds to marry when they grew up
and they announced their intention with the preternatural
seriousness of a boy of five and a girl of three. As they were really
fond of each other they never wearied of being together and as a
part of their precocious program they cared nothing for other
playmates. The garden was theirs and they were each others’ and
they lived in a community where children were little overseen or
tended. So they spent day after day in games of their own invention,
with no companion except a black kitten. Milly, who was proud of her
French, had named it Channoah and would have been deeply
grieved if anyone had insinuated that her pronunciation was far from
Parisian. Channoah was able to do without his mother when they
first began their games in the spring and was still a kittenish cat
when the autumn merged into winter. He entered into their sports
with almost a human interest and those long happy summer days
made a background for both the boy and the girl, which loomed up
behind all their future memories and where there were endless
pictures of each other, in long processions, punctuated and divided
by various postures and contortions of a coal-black kitten. As they
grew older and their companionship continued they had passwords
all for themselves and jokes that no one else entered into, all full of
allusions to the same pet.
II.
It was a rather awkward boy who came home from college for his
summer vacation. He had not seen his native place since the
autumn before, and the letters which had told him he must remain at
college, and which had disclosed most tenderly the fall in the family’s
fortunes had been worded so carefully that he had not realized the
full force of what had happened and had chafed at his exile as if it
were not inevitable. The first sight he had of his mother waiting on
the platform brought it all home to him. Her dress told more than any
words could have conveyed. He made a brave effort to be bright and
took care not to stare round him at the ugly walls of the cramped and
unfamiliar house, nor to look too curiously at the furnishings. The
gaps in the old belongings struck a chill to his heart, but he chattered
away about the college life to which he was to return, and over their
painfully frugal supper all were as cheery as old. The talk was a trifle
nervous and there was an anxiety to let no pause occur, but nothing
marred the warm greeting which had been made ready for him and
the meal ended naturally. The afternoon of talk had exhausted most
of what the greeters and the greeted had to ask and answer and
after they left the table the boy slipped into the entry and was hunting
for his cap among a litter of coats and capes, with a sick longing for
the old hall-piece and a strong distaste for the plain little walnut hat-
tree. The mother slipped out after him, shut the door noiselessly
behind her and asked:
“Where are you going, dear?”
“To see Milly, of course,” the boy answered.
“Has she written to you lately?” his mother queried.
“We haven’t written to each other at all,” he said. “I hate to write
letters, and it would make so much less for us to tell each other
afterwards.”
“You mustn’t go there, Jack,” she said, putting her hand lightly on
his shoulder with a caressing gesture.
“Why not?” he asked hotly, the blood rushing to his face.
“You know they have nothing to do with us any more, dear, since
your father and Mr. Wareham quarrelled.”
“I didn’t know it. You haven’t told me anything about what has
happened. And even if they have nothing to do with us, that wouldn’t
make any difference between Milly and me.”
“Isn’t it natural she should come to feel as her father and brother
feel?” the mother suggested tremulously.
“You mean she wouldn’t see me if I went,” he demanded, and he
was growing vexed and defiant.
“I did not mean that, dear. But her father might not allow her to see
you, and Albert always disliked you. And now they all hate all of us.”
“Why should they hate us? What have we done to them?”
“It was that selfish man ruined your father and people always hate
those they have wronged. Please don’t go, Jack.”
The boy twisted his cap in his hands and forced back his tears. He
was silent a moment and then he kissed his mother.
“It’s all right, mother dear,” he said, “I’ll go somewhere else. Thank
you for warning me.”
He went out into the dark. It was to the old garden that he walked.
The house was lit up and through the iron gate he saw trimmed and
unfamiliar shapes of shrubberies. He leaned against the bricks of the
gate-post and hated it all.
III.
A very lanky and gawky lad was waiting in the railway station at
the junction. He was loose-jointed and ill at ease in any position. His
clothes were mean and old and badly kept. His face was sad. For
some time now he had been waiting and he had hours of waiting
before him. He had looked over and over at everything in sight. Then
a train came up and a party of smartly dressed and handsome young
men and women entered. The lad’s face flamed. Jack had not seen
Milly for years. His father and mother were dead. He had to work at
hard and uncongenial things to make his living. He had as yet no
self-confidence and while he saw dimly a hope of better prospects,
neither to himself nor to his employers was anything apparent that
made his lot easier. Milly was a very lovely girl now. She was
perfectly dressed and the centre of a merry party. The boy watched
her hungrily, but she never glanced toward him. Her friends amused
themselves in various ways, but it seemed to the onlooker that Milly
was the soul of each diversion. After a while she took out a pair of
scissors and began cutting out figures from paper. Jack recalled with
a fresh pang the hours he and she had spent so. She had a
newspaper and cut out large and small shapes, of men and women,
of animals and other more difficult subjects, all with so neat an eye
for form and so keen an appreciation of what was striking that her
audience were carried away with admiration and delight, and one or
two who had never seen her do it before were amazed beyond any
powers of expression which they possessed. Their train came before
Jack’s and they rose, bustling, to go out. Milly’s dark scornful-browed
brother was with her and had stared at Jack sarcastically. Milly had
shown no sign of seeing him. The paper she had was full of big
advertisements and one sheet bore only six words on a side, in
broad black letters. Just as she stood up she cut out something,
while the rest were gathering up their belongings, and held it under
her thumb against a gaudily covered novel she carried in her left
hand. As she passed Jack she did not look at him, but he saw the
thumb of her glove move and a silhouette of an inky black kitten
fluttered down upon his knee. He took it up and stared at it. Then he
saw her look back at him from the door.
IV.
The german was a very dazzling and magnificent affair. The hall
was large and beautiful, splendidly lighted and most lavishly
decorated. The gathering was of people who were well satisfied with
themselves and had every reason to be so. John Henderson was as
well satisfied with himself as any man in the room. It gave him keen
pleasure to be in that set and to know that he had won his way into
it. His life was now one made delightful by every luxury and by the
constant sensation of success. Money came to him faster than he
had any use for it and friends gave him the most flattering evidences
that he was valued and liked. He was a tall strong young man, well-
knit and lithe. His clothes became him and he danced perfectly. He
was not merely among these courtly people, but welcome there. His
partner’s name had a decidedly patrician sound. And she was as
handsome as any girl in the room, he said to himself, save one. For
opposite him sat Miss Millicent Wareham. Her beauty was at its best
in her yellow satin ball-dress, and she looked proud and elate. He
had encountered her often recently, and they had been more than
once presented to each other, but had exchanged no words save the
formal acknowledgement of an introduction. He could not make out
whether she disliked him or merely reflected her brother’s manifest
antagonism. He took care not to look at her openly, but he glanced
toward her furtively very often. Toward the end of the dancing she
saw him approach her. Her face set and she looked at him full in the
eyes without any sign of expression as he asked her to dance with
him. But just when he uttered the last words of his slowly spoken
invitation he opened his hand and she saw the favor he was offering
her. It was a tiny kitten of black chenille made on wire, with minute
yellow beads for eyes. She blushed and smiled at the same time as
soon as she caught sight of it, rose graciously and they whirled away
together. Neither spoke at all and their separation came almost
immediately. Yet he felt more elated by that fragment of a dance than
by all the compliments of word and look he had had that evening
from men and women alike. She smiled at him again as she seated
herself and his heart leapt. He saw her as she was leaving, her wrap
open still and a bit of black on her yellow corsage.
V.
It was a dirty little square by the harborside, thronged with
boatmen, sailors of all nations ashore for a day’s outing, picturesque
cigarette-smoking loafers, fruit-sellers, negroes, uniformed police
and open-shirted porters. The shops facing it were dingy, the stones
of the quay awry in places, and the filth was more than is usual even
in Rio de Janeiro. Tawdry like every populous quarter there, it had
yet that pictorial air which all semi-tropical scenes, however much
defaced by man, never quite lose. To a stranger its most salient
feature was the clutter of six-sided, gaily-hued kiosques, which are
scattered all through the streets of Rio, many decorated with flags
and each selling lottery tickets, whatever else it might have for sale.
By one, which dispensed coffee in steaming cups and cognac in tiny
thin-stemmed glasses, stood an American talking to a Portuguese.
The noticeable thing about the Brazilian was that he was usual and
commonplace in every way. There was nothing in his form, features
or dress which could possibly have served to remember him by. One
might have conned him for an hour and after he was out of sight it
would have been impossible to recall anything by which to describe
him so as to distinguish him from any one of hundreds in the crowds
of the capital. Not even his age could have been specified or
approximated to. He was deliberate in his movements, watched his
environment without appearing to do so and attracted no attention.
Now he sipped his brandy while his interlocutor drank coffee, and the
two talked in subdued tones. Discussing a purchase of ship stores,
one would say.
A boatman in a suit of soiled white duck was loitering near, looking
over the harbor. He sidled up to the American and cut in between
speech and reply, in a deprecating voice:
“You wan’ Macedo see you talkin’ at Guimaraens, senhor
Hen’son?”
“Where’s Macedo?” the other demanded.
The boatman pointed and the two men followed his hand. A boat
was approaching across the sparkling water, and they saw the
peculiar stroke of the navy and police-boats, in which the men pull
and then rest so long with their oars poised that they seem
hypnotized in mid-stroke and a novice expects them to stay so
forever.
“There Macedo now, comin’ from Nictheroy,” said the fellow
meaningly.
“What do you want me to do, Joao?” the American asked.
“Oh, Guimaraens he wait anywhere, come back when Macedo
gone. You get in my boat, I row you roun’ pas’ those docks. Then
Macedo won’ see you ’tall.”
The Portuguese disappeared softly into the crowd. The boat
unobtrusively threaded the swarm of small craft, whipped behind a
lighter, doubled the nose of the nearest pier, and drifted
imperceptibly on while Joao reconnoitred.
“I guess we get behin’ that Lamport and Holt lighter. I don’ know
wha’ Macedo goin’ to do.”
They scraped along past the spiles of the wharf and then
dexterous strokes of the stubby oars kept them practically
motionless under the wharf’s planking, close to one spile.
“What on earth is that?” the passenger queried, and put out his
hand to the post. He grasped a watersoaked kitten, clinging
desperately to the slippery wood, and too exhausted to mew.
“A cat!” the American ejaculated. “I didn’t know you had cats in this
country. The city is knee-deep in dogs, but I haven’t seen a cat since
I came.”
“I guess he fall overboard from that Englis’ bark, what jus’ tow out,”
Joao said serenely. “That captain he got his wife too, an’ I see some
little cat along the children.”
The kitten was coal black, not a white hair on it, and very wet.
Henderson dried it with a handkerchief and warmed it inside of his
jacket. Presently Joao said:
“Macedo’s boat gone roun’ Sacco d’Alferes. I don’ see Macedo.
You bett’ not go back.”
“Go round to the Red Steps, then,” came the indulgent answer.
They rowed past the ends of the long piers, all black with shouting
men in long lines, each with a sack of coffee on his head, or hurrying
back for another. Then they bumped through a pack of boats of all
kinds and Henderson stepped out upon the worn and mortarless
stones. Joao nodded and was off without any exchange of money.
The morning was a very beautiful one and this was the landing most
frequented always. At the top of the steps John paused in a whirl of
feelings. Before him stood Millicent Wareham in a very pretty
yachting suit, and she was accompanied only by her maid. She was
looking alternately back toward the custom-house and out over the
bay. Secure in the fellow-feeling of exiles for each other he stepped
up and greeted her. She looked startled but a moment and then her
face lit with an expression of real pleasure and she held out her
hand. They had not had a real conversation since childhood and yet
she began as if she had seen him yesterday:
“I am so surprised. I had no idea you were here. We came only
last week. That is our yacht out there. When did you come?”
John looked once only at the yacht, but keenly enough never to
mistake it afterwards, and answered:
“I have been here a long time. I am on business, not pleasure.”
“We may be here some time, too. I like this part of the world and
we mean to go all round South America.”
John wondered who “we” might be. He knew her father was dead
and he had heard of the breaking off of her betrothal to a titled
European. It was her brother she was with, likely enough, but he
hoped it might be some party of friends instead.
“You’ll like it all if you like this,” he answered. “But I certainly am
astonished to see you. Few Americans come here as you have. And
the odd thing is that I was just thinking of you, too.”
She looked at him with an expression he remembered well from
her girlhood, and smiled banteringly:
“You mustn’t say that. You know you don’t really mean it. You are
just being complimentary.”
“I have documentary proof right here,” he laughed, sliding his hand
inside of his coat. The kitten was dry and warm now and it mewed
hungrily.
“The dear little thing,” she exclaimed. “Give it to me, won’t you?”
“Indeed I will,” he said fervently. “I am glad to find so safe a
harborage for it. And ten times glad that I had the luck to find it just in
time to give it to you.”
She beamed at him, fondling the wriggling little beast.
“I am going to call it Channoah,” she said, mimicking her childish
pronunciation archly. The maid standing by, and the moving crowd all
about, they stood chatting some minutes. The sunrays danced on
the little waves of the harbor, the soft August weather of the sub-
tropical winter of the southern hemisphere was clear and bright, the
yellow walls of the custom house, of its warehouses, of the arsenal
and military school and the army hospital, strung out along the
water-front, with the bushy-headed leaning rough-trunked palms
between and the red tiled roofs above made a fine background.
Beyond and above the round bulging green Cariocas rose hill behind
hill, topped and dominated by the sharpened camel’s hump of
Corcovado. From one of the islands a bugle call blew. The throng
hummed in many tongues. Then John asked:
“And may I hope to see you again before you leave?”
Her expression changed entirely, her face fell and she looked
confused. She said:
“I am afraid not. I quite forgot everything in my pleasure at seeing
a fellow-countryman and an old playmate. I could not deny myself
the indulgence of greeting you and then I quite lost myself, it was so
natural to be with you. But Bertie may be back any minute and it
would never do for him to know I have been talking to you. Please go
now.”
Her manner was constrained and her air was resuming that
distance and hauteur which he was used to seeing in her.
“Goodbye,” she said, “and thank you for the kitten.”
John walked quickly to the coffee exchange and from out of the
crowd that filled it he had the satisfaction of seeing Albert Wareham
pass and of knowing that he did not notice him and could not
suspect that Milly had seen him. It was something to have even that
secret between himself and Milly.
After gun-fire no boat is allowed to move about Rio harbor or bay

without a formal signed, sealed and stamped permit from the
authorities. All night the half dozen fussy little steam-launches of the
water-police are shooting about on the dark water, cutting flashing
ripples through the trails of light which the shore lights shed over the
bay and probing the pitchy shadows with stiletto flashes of their
search-lights. The penalty for being caught without papers is
forfeiture of the boat and a night in the calaboose for all, and a
rigorous trial for any suspected of intended stealing or smuggling.
Between the American and Norwegian anchorages a small boat was
moving noiselessly. It was after gun-fire but still early in the night.
The oars made no sound and the craft kept to the obscure parts of
the water. In the dead silence they preserved the two men in it heard
a faint puffing still far off. They were at the most exposed part of their
passage, far from any ship and farther from the nearest wharf. By
the sound the search-light would reveal them in a moment, they
judged. The launch was coming from the west, and to eastward of
them, nearer the entrance of the bay, was the anchorages for
vessels temporarily in harbor and for pleasure yachts. One said
something and the rower began to do his utmost, after turning
toward the east. Henderson had seen that he had but one chance.
He knew what would happen to him if he were caught and he could
see no escape. He had sighted the Halcyon, Wareham’s yacht, and
formed his plan at once. If Milly was on her and her brother ashore
he might be saved. If not, he was no worse off for rowing up to her.
They had more start than they had thought and both began to
regret they had not kept on toward the wharves. The launch turned
the light toward them, but their distance was such that it only half
revealed them. They were near the yacht now and the gangway was
not on their side. Joao rounded the yacht’s stern and bumped on the
lowest step, the launch throbbing after them at top speed.
Henderson stepped up the gangway. The anchor-watch had not
hailed them and he had his heart in his mouth at the certainty that
either the best or worst was coming. Before he reached the deck a
face leaned over the rail well aft and a soft voice asked:
“Who is that, please?” and the words were in English.
John’s heart leapt.
“Jack,” he answered with almost a cry of relief.
Just then a yellow glare swung round from aft and an excited voice
called out in Portuguese.
Milly took in the whole situation instantly. She had been told of the
regulations and she had heard of Henderson’s supposed real
business in Brazil. The instant the pulsations of the tiny engine
ceased as the launch slowed down she spoke clearly in French, with
a pleased tone of recognition in her utterance:
“Is that you, Captain Macedo? What did you ask?”
“Ah, Miss Wareham,” came the deferential answer, “ten thousand
pardons. I thought I was addressing the watch on your vessel.”
Miss Wareham said something in sharp low tones to someone
behind her and replied:
“Will not I do as well? I was in hopes you were coming to see me,
Captain Macedo.”
“I am on duty now, not on pleasure, alas. Did not a boat approach
your yacht just now?”
The keen reflector shone full on Joao and on Henderson as he
stood on the gangway.
“Certainly,” Milly said. “One of my friends has just come to call on
me. He is under my permit, I sent it ashore to him. Can’t you come
up a moment and meet him, Captain Macedo?”
The officer muttered something and then after a flood of apologies
uttered in a very vexed tone, the launch sheered off and bustled
away. Henderson went up the steps of the gangway and a rather
conventional greeting passed between him and his hostess. She
said something to the officer of the yacht and he disappeared into his
quarters. The man on watch was well forward, the maid sat under
the farthest corner of the awning, and Milly motioned him to a seat,
herself sinking into her deck-chair. He could not see her well by the
cool starlight, but her voice was friendly as her prompt action had
been, and he was advised of the presence of the kitten in her lap by
its loud purring. He took courage.
“I have much to thank you for, Milly,” he said, half hesitating over
the old pet name. “I was in a tight place but for your sharpness.”
“I hope I shall be forgiven for my falsehoods,” she said. “But that is
not what I want to talk to you about. I have heard about you on shore
and I am very much concerned. Sammy Roland had a great deal to
say of you. He tells me that everyone feels in the air the presence of
plots to overthrow Fonseca as he did with the emperor, and Sammy
says that the conspirators are buying arms and ammunition and that
it is whispered about that you are the chief of the foreign agents
engaged in this dangerous speculation. I am worried beyond
expression to think of the risks you run if this is true.”
John looked her straight in the eyes and she returned his gaze
silently. After some breaths he spoke.
“I know I ought to deny totally your insinuations, but I can not help
trusting you, Milly.”
“God knows,” she said, “you can trust me utterly.”
“And I will,” he replied. “This puts not only myself but others in your
power. You must not breathe a word of it, Milly. I am on just the
business you have heard of and on others like it. The profits are
something enormous and the risk is proportional. If I had not found
refuge behind your subterfuge and quickness I should be now under
the certainty of being shot before daylight.”
“Oh, not so bad as that, Jack,” she exclaimed in an excited
whisper. “They would never shoot an American citizen that way.”
“The matters I am mixed up in,” he answered, “are not things for
which one dares to ask the protection of any flag. I am as near to
being a pirate as one can come in these days. And Fonseca is a
man who would shoot me first and take the risk of the legation and
consulate never suspecting what had become of me, or even of
having to reckon with them if they did. He is quick and heavy-
handed.”
“I do not think him as ferocious as you do, Jack,” she said; “but I
am quite as anxious about you as possible. Sammy’s gossip might
be exaggerated and generally is. But Mr. Hernwick is a very different
person. And he, while he has had nothing to say about you, has
talked to me a great deal about the general situation here. He says
that Admiral Mello is at the head of the malcontents and is preparing
to lead a revolt of the entire navy. You probably know more about
that than Mr. Hernwick. The thing that struck me was this. He says
Mello is over-confident and is going to bungle the entire plot from
haste and temerity. If Mr. Hernwick says that, don’t you think there is
something in it.”
“Indeed I do,” Jack answered heavily. “I have had some glimpses
of something of the sort. Now can you solemnly assure me, Milly,
that Hernwick did say so? For I have half a mind to give up the whole
matter and all its golden promises of fortune. There is another
opening for me elsewhere, not so glittering but safer and fairly
profitable. Mr. Hernwick is a man I respect highly and no Englishman
knows so much about the tangle of intrigues which envelopes this
nation. If he had said that to me, openly and emphatically, I should
act on it.”
“And won’t you believe me, Jack, and act on what I say? I am so
anxious about you?”
The night was clear and cool, the breeze soft and even, it was
cosy under the awning and it was very pleasant and very novel to
have a woman so interested in himself. He was silent a moment, his
elbows on his knees, leaning forward on the camp-stool on which he
sat. The tiny ripples swished under the counter as the yacht swung
on her cable. A banjo twanged on a vessel somewhere near, a
military band was playing a native air in one of the plazas by the
water-front, the lights danced on the surface of the bay, and the
kitten purred. Jack sighed and said:
“It is hard to let slip such possibilities. But I’ll promise.”
She held out her hand to his and they clasped. It was a long
pressure. And then she began to talk of other things and to change
the current of his thoughts. They went back to the old days in the
garden and she told him much of her life in the years between and
he also narrated much of his. They recalled the old pass-words and
mutual jokes for themselves only. And through all their long talk the
purring of “Channoah the third,” as Milly called him, ran as a sort of
undertone. Jack could not recall any evening which he had enjoyed
so much.
Milly even spoke of her brother and deprecated his hatred of
Henderson. She did not deny it nor try to excuse it, but her dexterous
talk left Jack soothed and feeling that however much her interest in
himself was merely friendly, it was certain that she did not share her
brother’s contempt for him.
The launch had been circling about a half a mile off or so. Now
Joao blew a soft low whistle. The coast was clear for them to slip
ashore and Jack said goodbye.
VI.
During the years following his abrupt departure from Rio
Henderson flitted about the Southern Hemisphere. He was in
Australia, in South Africa, and on many islands, but most of his time
was spent in South America, on one side or other of the Andes. In
his last venture he saw the face of death near and ugly and felt that
he had lost some of his nerve afterward. Likewise, as he himself
expressed it, he had made his pile. So he resolved to run no more
risks, but to return to his native land and settle down to enjoy his
gains. Like many another wanderer he fancied he would like to buy
the house in which he had been a happy child and he was not sure
but he would find his native town a permanent bourne.
He noticed the change in grade of the railroad as his train steamed
in. It entered the city now over a viaduct which cleared the streets on
trestles and crossed the main thoroughfare on a fine stone arch.
Under that arch he passed in the hotel omnibus. Just beyond it he
noticed a shop with cages of birds, stuffed animals and a pretty little
black kitten just inside the plate glass of the front. He noted the
number and meant to return later after he had had his supper.
A square or so farther on he saw pass him a handsome open
carriage. His heart stood still at sight of the figure in it. Milly saw him
and returned his bow with a cordial smile. She was still beautiful,
with a full-grown woman’s best charms. Very haughty she looked
too, as became the heir of the Wareham fortune. Henderson had
heard of her brother’s death sometime before.
About sunset John entered the animal-seller’s shop. The kitten
was gone. Could not say when it had been sold. Could not say to
whom it had been sold. Could not send to the purchaser and try to
buy it back. Grumpy and curt replies generally. John left the shop in
a bad humor.
Flicking with his cane the tall grasses in the neglected spaces
before wooden front-yard fences John strolled in the twilight to the
old garden. The house was empty again and the garden had run
wild. It was not the wilderness he remembered but it had the same
outlines and the same general character. His heart warmed over it
and memories thronged.
His feet carried him he knew not whither. In the late twilight he
found himself before the splendid Wareham mansion. He was vexed
that he had not been able to get that kitten and send it to Milly in a
big box of pink roses, like the roses in the old garden. Then he was
vexed that he had not thought to send her the roses anyhow, as
soon as he had found he could not get the kitten. Then he opened
the gate, walked springily in and rang the bell.
Yes, Miss Wareham was at home. The warm lamp-light which had
led him in shone from the room into which he was ushered. Milly was
reading by the lamp itself. She rose to greet him. Her yellow satin
gown became her well and her voice was sweet to his ears. Her
words were cordial. But what Jack noticed to the exclusion of
everything else was the very black kitten he had failed to purchase,
tucked under her arm, purring vociferously, and very becoming, it
seemed to his eyes, to the color of her dress. The instant he saw it
he knew what he meant to say to her. And the look in her eyes told
him almost as plainly as the pet she fondled what her answer would
be.

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Business Ethics; Methods, Theories,

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List of figures and tablesxi

1 Introduction to business ethics1

2 Ethical theory and its application to business contexts11

4 Organizational ethics: ethics of corporations, companies,

5 Individuals in the world of business: ethical aspects of specific

7 Economic and ethical challenges of the Anthropocene: sustainability191

• What is the relationship between ethics and business?

1.1 What is the relationship between ethics and business?

1.1.1 The instrumental perspective of business ethics

Figure 1.1 The instrumental perspective of business ethics.

1.1.2 The philosophical perspective of business ethics

Figure 1.2 The philosophical perspective of business ethics.

1.2 The levels of business ethics

Figure 1.3 The levels of business ethics.

1.3 The relevance of business ethics: why is it important?

1.4 How to analyze and address ethical aspects of business: the

2.1 The meaning of ethics

2.1.2 A definition of ethics

Drawn by Clarence Herbert Rowe.

Thus runs the maxim, “All are born to die.”

—William Theodore Peters.

After gun-fire no boat is allowed to move about Rio harbor or bay

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