Journal of Business Ethics

, Volume 79, Issue 1–2, pp 9–19 | Cite as

Ancient Observations on Business Ethics: Middle East Meets West

Article
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Abstract

Drawing on a small sample of writings from distinguished philosophers and poets living in the Middle East in the period from the eighth to the first century BCE, it is shown that a variety of business practices provided familiar examples of how people ought to act and live, morally speaking, to enjoy the best sort of life and to be the best sort of person. The writings reveal that we share a common heritage and humanity with people living 20 to 28 hundred years ago, and that some of the observations are as important and useful today as they were when they were originally made.

Keywords

business ethics ancient ethics ancient business 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.University of Northern British ColumbiaPrince GeorgeCanada

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