BUSINESS ETHICS & SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
#Vission!!
BUSINESS ETHICS & SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
Philosophies
Influencing Our
Business Practices
What makes you happy?
Think of things, people, or anything
that defines your own “happiness”.
Share it in class by just saying three
(3) words.
What is Philosophy?
1. The study of the basic ideas about
knowledge, truth, right and wrong,
religion, and the nature and
meaning of life.
2. The philosophical teachings or
principles of a person or group.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary
What is Philosophy?
Etymology
The word philosophy comes from the
Ancient Greek words φίλος (philos)
'love' and σοφία (sophia) 'wisdom’.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Classical Philosophers
1. Socrates
2. Plato
3. Aristotle
4. Immanuel Kant
5. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart
Mill
Socrates (469-399 BCE)
“The Gad-fly at the Marketplace”
1. Socrates (469-399 BCE)
“The Gad-fly at the Marketplace”
One of the few individuals whom one
could say have shaped the cultural
and intellectual development of the
world for without him, history would
be profoundly different.
1. Socrates (469-399 BCE)
“The Gad-fly at the Marketplace”
This is Socrates’ philosophical idea:
“The unexamined life is not worth
living.”
Socrates pointed out that human
choice was motivated by the desire
for happiness.
1. Socrates (469-399 BCE)
“The Gad-fly at the Marketplace”
Socrates thought of the Entrepreneurs. The
Socratic Method is a way of thinking that
allows individuals to define their own
purpose of learning and exploring its
purpose through open-minded questioning
of what they hold to be true. Socrates
insisted on a right to think of ourselves by
introducing the philosophical concept,
“Dare to Disagree”.
Plato
“The Philosopher-King”
Plato
“The Philosopher-King”
2. Plato – “The Philosopher-King”
One of the world’s best known and
most widely read and studied
philosophers. He was the student of
Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle.
He wrote in the middle of the 4th
Century BCE in ancient Greece.
2. Plato – “The Philosopher-King”
This is Plato’s philosophical idea:
“Good people do not need laws to
tell them to act responsibly, while
bad people will find a way around
the laws.”
2. Plato – “The Philosopher-King”
Plato maintains a virtue-based
eudemonistic conception of ethics.
That is to say, happiness or well-
being (eudaimonia) is the highest
aim of moral thought and conduct,
and the virtues (aretê: excellence) are
the requisite skills and dispositions
needed to attain it.
Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
“All or Nothing”
3. Aristotle – “All or Nothing”
(384-322 BCE)
A towering figure in ancient Greek
philosophy, contributing to logic,
metaphysics, mathematics, physics,
biology, ethics, politics, agriculture,
medicine, dance, and theater.
3. Aristotle – “All or Nothing”
(384-322 BCE)
These are some of Aristotle’s
philosophical ideas:
“Happiness is the meaning and the
purpose of life, the whole aim, and
end of human existence.”
“Let people seek fulfillment.”
3. Aristotle – “All or Nothing”
(384-322 BCE)
The word happiness in ethics is a translation
of the Greek term “eudaimonia” which
connotes success and fulfillment. For
Aristotle, this happiness is our highest goal.
In relation to business, Aristotle concludes
that the role of the leader is to create an
environment in which all members of an
organization can realize their potential.
Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)
“Duty based Ethics”
4. Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)
“Duty based Ethics”
He is one of the most influential philosophers in the
history of Western Philosophy. He was not
concerned with the consequences of one’s
actions or the harm caused to one’s
individual interests. Instead, he is focused on
motives and the willingness of individuals to
act for the good of others, even if the action
might result to personal loss. Doing something
for the right reason was more important to Kant
than any particular outcome.
4. Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)
“Duty based Ethics”
For example, business ethics is
littered with cases of companies that
have suffered damaging crises due to
their leaders’ lack of commitment to
act based on goodwill and about what
benefits others.
Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart
Mill
“Utilitarianism”
5. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart
Mill
“Utilitarianism”
Revolves around the concept of “the
end justifies the means”. It
believes that outcomes, as a result of
an action have a greater value
compared to the latter.
5. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart
Mill
“Utilitarianism”
Utilitarianism is a philosophy or belief
suggesting that an action is morally right
when the majority of people benefit from
it. Also, the doctrine that an action is right
as it promotes happiness, and that the
greatest happiness of the greatest
number should be the guiding principle of
conduct.
5. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart
Mill
“Utilitarianism”
Utilitarianism is a moral theory that
advocates actions that promote overall
happiness or pleasure and reject actions
that cause unhappiness or harm. A
utilitarian philosophy, when directed to
making social, economic, or political
decisions, aims for the betterment of
society.
Do you have
any question?
What’s More?
Directions: Write the business philosophies of each
philosopher in the table below. The first one is done for
you.
Assignment
In a yellow paper:
1. Give a situation that shows the
implication of each philosophy in
business.
2. Cite some life experiences where
you can relate to one of the
discussed philosophies.
