Classical Philosophies and Philosophers (Foundations of the Principles of Business Ethics)

Thales of Miletus (624 BCE-546 BCE)

624 BCE

A philosopher renowned as one of the legendary Seven Wise Men, or Sophoi, of antiquity. Thales believed that all things derive from a single first cause or source which he called arche or archai. Furthermore, He was one of the first Western philosophers who attempted to find naturalistic explanations of the world (Naturalism or Materialism) without reference to supernatural or mythological explanations, such as the Greek anthropomorphic gods and heroes.

Anaximander (610 BCE- 546 BCE)

610 BCE

A Greek philosopher who was the first to develop a cosmology, or systematic philosophical view of the world. He is often considered the founder of astronomy, and he tried to observe and explain different aspects of the universe and its origins, and to describe the mechanics of celestial bodies in relation to the Earth. He made important contributions to cosmology, physics, geometry, meteorology and geography as well as to Metaphysics.

Socrates- (469-399BC)

469 BCE

Socrates' ideas about business ethics are remarkable. His idea about committing evil and morally wrong is indeed worthy to reflect on. He was once said that “no one commits an evil act knowingly and doing wrong arises out of ignorance.” This means that sometimes we do wrong because we lack moral knowledge. In business, we should remember that being honest and good at all times is a must for us to be successful in our career and not to regret it later on in life.

Plato- (428-348 BC)

428 BCE

Plato believes that being happy and being able to attain a sense of fulfillment, one should be virtuous. For example, businessmen or business owners should be transparent, kind, honest, and accountable to their business partners, employees, and stakeholders. By this, you’re not the only one that will be happy but also the people around you. Remember that being kind allows others to see good in humanity.

Aristotle – (384-322 BC)

384 BCE

Aristotle’s idea focuses on actions and that we should not limit ourselves with our knowledge but applying those ideas to be good and to be virtuous. He also said that one should control our emotions. Example is when we feel fear, we should respond to it with courage. And when we are discouraged, we should not think of giving up but instead, look at the brighter side of life. Thus, we should all live life with moderation and be contented with what we have in life.

Zeno of Citium (334 BCE-226 BCE)

334 BCE

Zeno of Citium was a Hellenistic philosopher of Phoenician origin from Citium, Cyprus.He is considered the founder of the Stoicism school of philosophy.He founded the Hellenistic philosophy in the early 3rd century BC in Athens. with its school known as stoicism.Like the Cynics, Zeno recognized a single, sole and simple good, which is the only goal to strive for and which can only consist of Virtue.

Epicureanism (307)

307

Epicureanism is a system of philosophy based on the teachings of Epicurus, founded around 307 B.C. It teaches that the greatest good is to seek modest pleasures in order to attain a state of tranquillity, freedom from fear ("ataraxia") and absence from bodily pain ("aponia"). But Epicurus does not advocate that one pursue any and every pleasure. Rather, he recommends a policy whereby pleasures are optimized in the long run. Some pleasures are not worth having because they lead to greater pains.

Ancient Greek Ethics: PROTAGORAS (490 BCE- 420 BCE) RELATIVISM

490

Protagoras is considered the greatest of the Sophists of ancient Greece and the first philosopher in the West to promote Subjectivism, arguing that interpretation of any given experience, or anything whatsoever, is relative to the individual. Moreover, he emphasized the extent to which moral codes are human creations, sets of customs practiced and upheld by particular communities.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225 BCE-1274 BCE)

1225

An Italian philosopher and theologian of the Medieval period. He was the foremost classical proponent of natural theology at the the peak of Scholasticism in Europe, and the founder of the Thomistic school of philosophy and theology. Combining the theological principles of faith with the philosophical principles of reason, he ranked among the most influential thinkers of medieval Scholasticism.

Moral Positivism

1700

Hobbes said that people are selfish who would do everything for position, fame, and power. He connotes that one of the examples of this is a nation, for him, each country is in a constant battle for power and wealth. He also believed that abiding laws is vital and essential for us not to have a chaotic world. Thus, one should follow the given laws especially those people in business.

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

1724

He is one of the most influential philosophers in the history of Western philosophy. His contributions to metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics have had a profound impact on almost every philosophical movement that followed him.Kant is best known for defending a version of the "respect for persons" principle which implies that any business practice that puts money on a par with people is immoral, but there is much more to a Kantian approach to business ethics than this.

Utilitarianism

1861

Utilitarianism revolves about the idea of consequences or outcomes. It has been said that what makes an act right is its consequences and not the motive of the action. Moreover, utilitarianism is also explained as “Do whatever produces the greatest good for the greatest number.” We should strive to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number while creating the least amount of harm or preventing the greatest amount of suffering to others.

John Rawls and others (1921)

1921

He was an American moral and political philosopher in the liberal tradition. A Theory of Justice is a work of political philosophy and ethics by John Rawls.His idea is that principles of justice are based on the notion of a hypothetical contract to which reasonable individuals would agree from a position in which substantive facts about the good are not known. In this way Rawls argues that the priority of rules of justice over may be justified independently of utilitarian concerns with the good.