Business Practice, Ethics and the Philosophy of Morals in the Rome of Marcus Tullius Cicero

Abstract

Moral behaviour, and more recently wisdom and prudence, are emerging as areas of interest in the study of business ethics and management. The purpose of this article is to illustrate that Cicero—lawyer, politician, orator and prolific writer, and one of the earliest experts in the field recognised the significance of moral behaviour in his society. Cicero wrote ‘Moral Duties’ (De Officiis) about 44 BC. He addressed the four cardinal virtues wisdom, justice, courage and temperance, illustrating how practical wisdom, theoretical/conceptual wisdom and justice were viewed in Rome of the first century BC. ‘Moral Duties’ is a letter admonishing his son, Marcus. It refers to personal behaviour, business practice and analyses terms such as good faith and criminal fraud. In addition, it contains material which would be suitable for tutorials/seminars and discussions, particularly in the areas of critical thinking in business ethics and general management. A study of De Officiis in respect to present day management and business practice could give a wider perspective to business ethics and management students. If concepts such as moral virtue, moral propriety and moral goodness, many of which seem to be ignored in business situations today, are to be embedded in business leaders of the future, it is reasonable to expect that these qualities will be analysed and discussed by business students today. Further, a study of Cicero’s six-step approach, when preparing an address/speech, could be useful and productive for practitioners and students in this area.

Glossary

Academicians

This term was applied to people who were associated with the Academeia, a hall (gymnasium) and park which Plato established to teach philosophy and science. It existed in three forms, ‘Old’, ‘Middle’ and ‘New’ and survived until AD 529.

Panaetius

Panaetius (185–109 BC) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. His influence on Roman thought was significant. He adapted Stoic thinking to suit Rome, focusing on the virtues of magnanimity and benevolence. He emphasised the subordination of private ambition to the good of the state, and his ‘On Duty’ influenced Cicero.

Peripatetics

Peripatetic had its origins in the word peri-patos περί-πατος meaning a walking about, a place for walking, a conversation during a walk and then a philosophical discussion. The Latin is ambulatio. The Peripatetic School was the school of philosophy in Athens which Aristotle had established in his Lyceum. Aristotle or his successor, Theophrastos had a covered walkway, a peripatos, from which the school took its name.

Scholastics

These were early scholars e.g. Homer who composed and handed down their literature and philosophical thoughts sometimes without the aid of writing. Later Heracleitus, Plato, Xenophon, Demosthenes and Aristotle contributed to the Greek tradition of literature and philosophy.

Stoics

This was the name given to a philosophical school which had its origins in a stoa στοά. Stoa translates as colonnade, piazza, or cloister. Zeno of Citium (300 BC) and his successors taught in this piazza, and so they became known as Stoics Στωικοί. They believed that whatever happens is in accordance with divine reason, and so pain, poverty and death are not important. Matter consists of four elements, earth, air, fire and water. Cato was the most prominent follower of Stoicism in Cicero’ s time.