Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the possibility of a moral sanctuary existing in the field of business. It seeks to add to the discussion begun by Professors Konrad and Roberts in recent studies. After some preliminary discussion on the nature of a moral sanctuary, the paper contends that from an Aristotelian-Thomistic perspective it is impossible for sanctuary from moral rules to exist in any area of life, including business. Even games are regulated by principles of Justice and Do No Harm. And the claim that ethics is too complicated to be figured out by the average business person simply does not make sense. In business as in any other human activity human values must be respected.
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Donald X. Burt is Professor of Philosophy at the Villanova University. He previously was Academic Vice-President at Merrimack College and Dean of Arts & Science at Villanova University. His most important publications are The Inn of The Samaritan (1984) ‘Augustine on Killing The Innocent’ (Proceedings of The American Catholic Philosophic Assn.), ‘A Possible Defense of Capitalism: Egoism Revisited’ (in Proceedings of the Conference on Value Inquiry), SUNY, Geneseo, 1979), and The Color of My Days 1980.
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Burt, D.X. Moral sanctuary in business: A comment on the possibility. J Bus Ethics 5, 209–211 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383627
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383627