Foundations of the

Principles of Business
Ethics
 
Lesson 1- Illustrate how
these philosophies are
reflected into business
practices
 Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of Philosophy that
"involves systematizing, defending, and recommending
concepts of right and wrong behavior
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 Business ethics (also known as corporate ethics) is
a form of applied ethics or professional ethics, that
examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems
that can arise in a business environment. It applies to all
aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct
of individuals and entire organizations. As an applied
branch of General Ethics, it must be studied from the
perspective of Philosophy. This is because Ethics is a part
of moral principles.
The philosophies of these Classical
Philosophers have great implications
on business and are the foundations of
the principles of the business ethics.
 Socrates
 Heis known for his classic philosophy, “HAVE THE
COURAGE TO DISAGREE.” He is best known for the
Socratic method of question and answer. The
Socratic method is a way of thinking that allows
individuals to define their own purpose for
learning. In business, administrators ought not to
sleepwalk or basically oblige the group.
 Plato’s classic philosophy
 THE POWER TO RULE. His prime belief was that a person must study
themselves in order to find out their level of character. He is acclaimed for
his choices regarding the matter of the real world. In business, it is constantly
vital to know the qualities and shortcomings of everybody.
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 Aristotle’s classic philosophy
 LET PEOPLE SEEK FULFILLMENT. He was the most practical and business
oriented of all philosophers. In business, the association must give and
condition that is conducive to human development and satisfaction.
 Confucius
 The most famous for his golden rule: DO NOT DO UNTO OTHERS WHAT YOU DO
NOT WANT OTHERS DO UNTO YOU, and his famous classic philosophy is LIVE A
CONTENTED, MORAL AND HAPPY LIFE. Confucian values can aid in the
creation of business leaders who are true leaders of the society.
 Plutarch, on being a good role model
 Plutarch, the ancient Greek historian and educator, understood that humans
are incredibly social creatures, who constantly observe the people around
them and imitate them. (The Guardian, 2020)
 Unfortunately, people often grow up surrounded by bad role models.
However, we can steer people, by providing them with better patterns to
imitate. That's what Plutarch tried to do with his famous work, Parallel Lives,
which offered biographical sketches of some of the great Greek and Roman
heroes – Cicero,Caesar, Alexander the Great, Pericles – to give young people
something to emulate.
 Plutarch
 Theancient Greek historian and educator,
understood that humans are incredibly
social creatures, who constantly observe
the people around them and imitate them.
He is famous in his philosophy, “BE A
GOOD ROLE MODEL.” In organizational
terms, it means, what you say to your
employees is less important than what you
do. They will watch how you behave, how
you treat others, how you cope with
pressure and whether you follow through
on your promises, and they will imitate
you, they will follow your lead.
 Rufus: keep track of your ethical progress
 Musonius Rufus was known as the Socrates of Rome. ...
The ancient Greek word for ethics is actually the same
word for habit. You also need to keep track of your
progress, to see how you're doing. You can't just rely on
your intuitions, because they're often wrong.
 Aristotle: let people seek fulfillment
 Aristotle's philosophy was an influence on Edward Deci and Richard Ryan's
Self-Determination Theory, which suggests that employees will work harder
for you, and perform better, if you give them tasks they find meaningful and
morally worthwhile.
 Epicurus, on the art of happiness 
 Epicurus was a fourth century Greek philosopher who taught,
rather scandalously, that the aim of life was simply to be as happy
as possible here on Earth, before we die and dissolve back into the
atomic universe. He warned that humans are very bad at being
happy, and very good at inventing reasons to be miserable.
Philosophy should teach us how to be happy, he suggested. For
example, it could teach us how to bring our attention to the
present moment, to savor it. It could also teach us to limit our
desires to what is easy to get, not inflating our needs with endless
artificially stimulated desires. (The Guardian, 2020)
 Today, some companies are embracing Epicurus' philosophy, and
trying to teach their employees the art of happiness. Tony Hsieh,
the CEO of American shoe company Zappos, is so committed to the
company's courses in happiness that he sold the company to
Amazon on the agreement it would be able to continue with its
unique happy culture.
 Epicurus
 THE ART OF HAPPINESS. Epicurus was a fourth century
Greek philosopher who taught, rather scandalously, that
the aim of life was simply to be as happy as possible here
on Earth. He warned that humans are very bad at being
happy, and very good at inventing reasons to be miserable.
Today, some companies are embracing Epicurus' philosophy,
and trying to teach their employees the art of happiness.
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 ENRICHMENT/DEEPENING/VALUING:
 Note: This activity is also available @ edmodo.com
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 Activity 1: Venn diagram activity
 Objective: Demonstrate the learning on philosophies reflected in business
Materials: Pen and Paper
 Procedure:
 Draw two overlapping circles. Label each circle
 In each circle, fill in the characteristics of each item.
 Identify which characteristics appear in two circles. These characteristics go
in the intersection (where the two circles overlap).
 What are the similarities and differences that the Venn diagram illustrates?
 After comparing the ideas, come up with your own idea on which philosophy
is the soundest for the company and explain why?
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