Ethical Universals, Justice, and International Business

Abstract

Are there ethical universals in international business? Normative theories in general tend to claim some sort of universality. Hence, the short answer that a Mill or a Kant would probably give is yes.¹ For on the most common interpretations the principle utility applies universally both in that it applies to all actions and in that it applies to all persons. The same is true of the categorical imperative. An affirmative answer to the question will also be given by a number of others. On the other hand, a relativist would probably have an equally short answer to the question: no. For the relativist would deny that any principles apply either to all actions or to all persons. But having said this much is not to have shed any light on the issue that people did not know before. And the point of the question surely is not to ask for one more defense of some normative ethical theory, or one more argument for or against relativism.