LOA’s

Question 1

How can one apply Kantian ethics to business ethics?

Answer 1

Kantian ethics is an essential moral foundation in business ethics, especially for preventing abuse and upholding integrity.

Yet for application in dynamic, global markets, it may need to be balanced with more flexible theories like rule utilitarianism to achieve both ethical consistency and real-world effectiveness.

Question 2

How can one apply utilitarianism to business ethics

Answer 2

Ultimately, utilitarianism provides a more realistic and practically effective approach than Kantian absolutism, especially in the morally grey, consequence-laden world of business.

It allows us to protect vulnerable people while also recognising the complex trade-offs businesses face.

However, its success depends on continually refining the rules we adopt to ensure they truly serve the greatest number—both now and in the long term.

Question 3

Is the concept of corporate social responsibility nothing more than ‘hypocritical window-dressing’ covering the greed of a business intent on making profits?

Answer 3

CSR is often criticised as shallow virtue signalling that conceals corporate greed. This critique has merit, especially in the context of exploitative capitalism and globalisation.

However, this view is too reductionist. CSR can be used unethically, but when grounded in coherent ethical theory (Kantian deontology or Rule Utilitarianism), it becomes more than mere ‘window-dressing.’ It is a practical route for making capitalism more just and humane.

The future of ethical business lies in reforming capitalism through consistent moral standards—where CSR is not optional PR, but a moral imperative embedded in business practices.

Question 4

Can human beings flourish in the context of capitalism and consumerism?

Answer 4

Human beings can flourish in capitalism and consumerism only if these systems are ethically regulated and constrained to prevent exploitation and alienation. Capitalism must be balanced with social responsibility, democratic control, and respect for human dignity to truly enable flourishing.

Question 5

Does globalisation encourage or discourage the pursuit of good ethics as the foundation of good business?

Answer 5

Ethical business requires more than just profit-driven competition; it requires a commitment to treating people as ends in themselves and maximising happiness through fair, universal moral rules.

Without these, globalisation becomes a tool for exploitation, not ethical progress.