Business EthicsVirtue Ethics

Virtue Ethics Virtue ethics focuses not so much on

principles or the consequences of action, nor even the action itself so much as on the agent, the person who performs the action, in the light of the circumstances and all of his or her other actions.

The focus is on the person’s character, or alternatively, on those traits of character expressed in this and other actions, his or her virtues.

Aristotle’s virtue ethics The most famous virtue ethicist, and in many ways still

the starting point for most virtue ethicists, is the great Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BCE).

In his Nicomachean Ethics (1954), Aristotle laid out a system of virtue ethics which still remains the starting point, if not the model, for most virtue ethicists.

A virtue (areté which can also be translated as “excellence”) for Aristotle was the mean between the extremes.

Atistotle’s virtue ethics Aristotle claimed that all human action must

aim at something - he believed this to be eudaimon.

Eudaimon is sometimes translated as happiness but this is somewhat misleading as Aristotle really meant was a state of flourishing, or leading a worthwhile life.

In order to reach this state of flourishing one must possess the relevant arête or virtues.

Aristotle called these virtues, excellences. To lead a fulfilling life, one must exercise

these excellent character traits.

Virtue ethicists would argue that what is essential to ethics is not universal rules and objective rational principles but rather an established way of doing things, a shared sense of value and significance, shared heroes and role models, a clear sense of what sort of a person one should be.

Virtuous person A virtuous person is not simply one who just

does a good or right act once in a while, rather a virtuous person is someone who “consistently” chooses the right acts for the right motives.

Being virtuous is a habitual act and you are what you do.

If you lie constantly, you are a liar and the act of lying establishes that character trait in you.

In business, if you cut corners and practice unethical business tactics you are an unethical businessman.

Important virtues

Integrity

Trust

Honesty

Self-Control

Fairness

Virtious organization Virtue ethics can also be used to criticize the

dominant culture within the business world

This entails a criticism of;Individualizm Pure profit orientation Competitive culture Materialism

Virtious organizations Essential to understanding most human

activities is the idea of a practice – a shared cooperative activity with mutually understood goals and ways of doing things –

and an idea of excellence in that activity, both in the sense of the specific skills and talents required for the activity, and in the sense of the more general traits and habits that make the activity possible.

Modern virtue ethics Alasdair MacIntyre is one of the most influential

virtue ethicists

He criticized the dominant culture of business world

He thinks that businesses are only concerned with external goods and this prevents practice from flourishing

Example practices; farming, science, art, education, architecture, engineering…

External and Internal goods It is characteristic of what I have called external

goods that when achieved they are always some individual's property or possession. Moreover characteristically they are such that the more someone has of them, the less there is for other people. ...External goods are therefore characteristically objects of competition in which there must be losers as well as winners. Internal goods are indeed the outcome of competition to excel, but it is characteristic of them that their achievement is a good for the whole community who participate in the practice. (1984, pp.190-191)

External and Internal goods

Internal goods, on the other hand, are goods of the profession.

One becomes a good manager, doctor, businessman through achieving the internal goods of the practice.

Internal goods is the quality/excellence of the product or service one produces.