Module 4: Philosophies Influencing Business Practice PDF

Group 2 Reporting Business Ethics and Social Responsibilities MODULE 4: PHILOSOPHIES INFLUENCING OUR BUSINESS PRACTICE THE CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHERS AND PHILOSOPHIES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS ON BUSINESS 1. SOCRATES (469-399 BC) “The Gad-fly at the Marketplace” is one of the few individuals wh...

Group 2 Reporting Business Ethics and Social Responsibilities MODULE 4: PHILOSOPHIES INFLUENCING OUR BUSINESS PRACTICE THE CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHERS AND PHILOSOPHIES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS ON BUSINESS 1. SOCRATES (469-399 BC) “The Gad-fly at the Marketplace” is 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. This is Socrates’s philosophical idea: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates pointed out that human choice was motivated by the desire for happiness. Socrates thought of the Entrepreneurs. Cher Ashley Oyanib / Justine Redondo 1. SOCRATES (469-399 BC) The Socratic Method is a way of thinking that allows individuals to define their own purpose of learning and exploring its purpose through openminded 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”. Cher Ashley Oyanib / Justine Redondo 2. Plato Plato lived in ancient Greece, from around 428 to 348 BC. He was a student of Socrates, and teacher of Aristotle. He started a school called the Academy, one of the first universities before. Some of his most famous writings include The Republic and Apology. Princess Nicole Gonzales 2. Plato “Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.” Plato maintains a virtue-based eudemonistic conception of ethics. Princess Nicole Gonzales 2. Plato 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. Princess Nicole Gonzales 3. Aristotle “All or Nothing” (384-322 BCE) is a towering figure in ancient Greek philosophy, contributing to logic, metaphysics, mathematics, physics, biology, ethics, politics, agriculture, medicine, dance, and theater. Cristian Bragais 3. Aristotle 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.” Cristian Bragais 3. Aristotle 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. Cristian Bragais 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. Alexis Deniega / Karen Joy Balanay 4. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) 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. Alexis Deniega / Karen Joy Balanay 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. Utilitarianism is a philosophy or belief suggesting that an action is morally right when the majority of people benefit from it. Annamarie Que / Ramil Aquino 5. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill 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. Utilitarianism is a moral theory that advocates actions that promote overall happiness or pleasure and reject actions that cause unhappiness or harm. Annamarie Que / Ramil Aquino 5. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill A utilitarian philosophy, when directed to making social, economic, or political decisions, aims for the betterment of society. Annamarie Que / Ramil Aquino Thank you !