Philosophical Background: of Business Ethics
Philosophical Background: of Business Ethics
Philosophical Background: of Business Ethics
OF BUSINESS ETHICS
Business Ethics
Business Ethics is the study of
policies and practices in business
regarding to its certain issues (Ethical
Issues in business).
Divisions of Philosophy
Philosop
hy
Theorica
l
Cosmolo
gy
Semanti
cs
Ontology
Axiology
Metaphys
ics
Psycholo
gy
Aestheti
cs
Theodicy
Ethics
Epistemolo
gy
Practical
Logic
Division of Philosophy
Theoretical Philosophy studies the
truth
to
be
known
e.g.
God,
immortality of the soul, origin of the
universe, and other truth.
Practical Philosophy studies truth to
be acted upon e.g. ethics, axiology,
semantics, and the like.
Theoretical Philosophy
Under theoretical philosophy are:
1.Cosmology studies about the universe
in a scientific and philosophical manner.
2.Ontology deals with the nature of
existence of the things and the status of
reality.
3.Metaphysics studies the nature of
mind, the self, and conciousness.
4.Psychology studies of the human mind
and its behavior.
Theoretical Philosophy
5. Theodicy investigates the nature,
being, and the attributes of God not
based on the bible and divine revelations
but
the
logical
abstractions
and
reasoning.
6. Epistemology concerned with the
definition of knowledge and related
concepts, the source of criteria of
knowledge, its related concept, its kinds,
its veracity, and its relation to other
concepts.
Practical Philosophy
Under practical philosophy are:
1.Semantics studies the meaning of
words, and its linguistic forms, their
function, and their relationship to other
words.
2.Axiology studies values, its origin,
types, and characteristics.
3.Aesthetics study of beauty and art.
4.Logic deals with the nature of thinking
and reasoning using empirical support to
establish truth.
Practical Philosophy
5. Ethics studies the morality of
human acts.
Ethics
It is the practical science of the
morality of human acts.
It is also a practical science that
guides us in our actions that we may
live rightly and well.
3 Categories of Ethics
1. Descriptive Ethics
2. Normative Ethics
3. Meta Ethics
Descriptive Ethics
It consist of studying and describing the
morality of the people, culture, and the
society. It serves as the foundation of
normative ethics and provides the
standard of the morality of the people,
culture, and the society.
Example:
Physical Egoism - declares result based
on scientific studies.
Cultural Relativism described the
behavior of people when grouped and
observed its cultural realities.
Normative Ethics
It involves moral judgment based on
ethical norm and theory.
3 tasks:
1.To form into related whole the various
norms, rules, and values of societys
morality.
2.To find the basic principle from which
the particular norm can be derived.
3.To justify an ethical norm or moral
principle.
Meta Ethics
It concerns with analysis of the
meaning of words and the logic of
moral reasoning like analyzing the
word good , bad , moral ,
immoral, moral obligation , and
etc.
Ethical Relativism
Ethical relativism claims that when
any two cultures or any people hold
different moral values of action, both
can be right.
as
hard
absolutism
only one
everybody
Elements of an Action
Motives/
Intentions
End of Actor
Means/ Action in
itself
End of the Act
NonConsequenti
alist
Consequences/R
esult
Probable and
Actual
Consequentia
list
Deontological Ethics
It is also known as non-consequentialist
approach is a body of an ethical theories
that measures and evaluates the nature of
a moral act based on the validity of the
motive of an act.
Examples:
1.Kantian Ethics or Kantianism known as
categorial imperative approach that states
that morality is based on our motives not
by the consequence of an act itself.
Deontological Ethics
2. Divine Command Theory holds that
the standard of the right and wrong
is based on the will of God.
Theological Ethics
It is also known as consequentialist
theory that measures the morality of an
action based on its consequences and
not on the motive or intention of an actor.
Examples
1.Hedonism pleasure is the only good
as end.
2.Utilitarianism the greatest good is the
greatest happiness of the greatest
number of people.
2 Ethical System
1. Atheistic Ethics states that only
matter exists and man is responsible
only to himself since there is no
God.
2. Theistic Ethics states that God is a
supreme lawgiver. Everything must
conform to Gods eternal plan of
creation.