Friday, August 17, 2007

Business Ethics: An Oxymoron


An oxymoron: the juxtaposition of contradictory words or concepts. That is what we have with the term "Business Ethics". The very contradiction that is inherent in this latter phrase is an indication of the challenge that individuals who work for organizations face as we all approach the resource limits of this planet.

The global concept of business is fundamentally based on the principle of competition for limited resources. That is the practice of maximizing one's gains at the expense of others. This ultimately has the effect of creating a hierarchy of those who have and those who have not. This is really paramount to "eliminating the enemy" i.e other human beings.

The concept of ethics is based fundamentally on moral principles. That is, principles of right and wrong as dictated by the core human values that we as human beings hold dear in our hearts. These are core values of fairness, love, compassion, integrity, respect, peace, joy, fulfillment, harmony, beauty, etc.

See full Article.