Business Ethics

I've just abandoned another book on business ethics. That makes four I've attempted to read this year. I suffered through the first two, gritting my teeth as the flaws in their premises led to some very shaky conclusions - after that, I've been quicker to walk away at the first signs of weakness in the foundation, knowing that whatever is built upon it cannot stand.

If this is the best that philosophy can do, it's no wonder the subject has been largely abandoned, which is a disappointment. A solid well-grounded code of ethics can shape the character and culture of an organization, just as it can of a person. And a company without principles is as dangerous and unreliable as a person who lacks them - more so, because a sizable organization has the tendency to have an equally sizable impact, for better or for worse.

While I'm interested in exploring the topic further, it's a very touchy subject. I expect I'll need to establish yet another persona to explore it in much detail rather than turning my personal site into a venue for debate of the subject.