Business Ethics, Ch. 1-4

Altruism

Defining an act as morally right if the action's consequences increase net happiness (or decrease net unhappiness) when everything is taken into account except the actor's increased or diminished happiness

Positive Rights

Obligations others have to help protect and preserve my basic, negative rights

Arguments

Showing how, given the facts, one action serves specific values better than other actions

Normative

The discussion about what ought to be done

Marketplace

The enforcement of rules for behavior by economic reality

Cultural Relativism

The suspicion that values and morality are culture specific and not the result of universal reason. They're what a community believes, and that's it

Cultural Ethics

The theory that moral doctrines are only the rules a community believes, and acting in a way that's ethical recommendable means learning and following those local guidelines

Fairness

The virtue of judging people's acts dispassionately, evenhandedly, and from all points of view

Utility

A general term for usefulness and benefit that serves as the root for the theory names utilitarianism

Right

A justified claim against others

The Eternal Return of the Same

A though experiment in which you imagine what you would do if the life you chose to lead now will have to be repeated forever

Selflessness

Acting without regard for one's own well-being. This does not necessarily imply acting in favor of the well-being of others

Social Contract

An agreement made between people to act in certain ways not because the acts are themselves good or bad, but because the rules for action are mutually beneficial

Valid Argument

An argument where the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises. This doesn't mean the conclusion is true, but if the premises are true, then the conclusion must be too

Categorical Imperative

An ethical rule that does not depend on circumstances

Consequentialists

An ethics focused on the results of actions, not the actions themselves

Global Ethics

An ethics taking into account everyone affected by an act, now and in the future

Utilitarian Monster

An individual capable of feeling disproportionately high sensations of pleasure and happiness, one who consequently requires many others to sacrifice their happiness in the name of maximizing net happiness

Utilitarian Sacrifice

An individual whose happiness is sacrificed in order to increase the happiness of others

Theoretical Wisdom

As a virtue, it's both the ability to learn high-level, theoretical knowledge and the accumulated possession of that knowledge

Morals

Direct rules we ought to follow

Duties to Others

Ethical responsibilities for others

Duties to Ourselves

Ethical responsibilities we hold to ourselves, determining how we live and treat ourselves

Invisible Hand

In business ethics, the force of marketplace competition that encourages or even requires individuals who want to make money to make the lives of others better in the process

Ethics of Care

Making the nurturing of our immediate communities and the protecting of those closest to us the highest moral obligation

Welfare Rights

Obligations society holds to provide minimal conditions allowing individuals their free pursuit of happiness

Postmodernism

Postmodernism in ethics is the suspicion that no single ethical code is indisputably right

Personal

Practicing an altruistic ethics without regard for what others are doing or should do

Personal Business Ethics

Questions of business ethics attaching specific people in particular circumstances

Practical Wisdom

Sometimes called prudence. As a virtue, it's the learned ability to respond to difficult situations intelligently, calmly, and prudently

Rational Egoism

Subscribing to ethical egoism because it's the most reasonable of the ethical theories, the one a perfectly rational person would choose

Sincerity

The ability to reveal yourself to others with confidence that you'll be respected. It fits between the extremes of frigidity and emotional outpouring

Libertarianism

The acceptance of basic rights as the providers of moral guidance, with emphasis attached to the right to our possessions and the fruits of our work

Egoism

The belief that an action is morally right if the action's consequences are more beneficial than unfavorable for the person who acts

Enlightened Egoism

The belief that benefitting others - acting to increase their happiness - can serve the egoist' self-interest just as much as the egoist's acts directly in favor of him/herself

Impersonal Altruism

The belief that everyone should practice an altruistic ethics

Gratitude

The duty to thank and remember those who helped us

Fairness

The duty to treat equals equally and unequals unequally

Respect Others

The duty to treat others as valuable in themselves and not as tools for your own projects

Avoid Wronging Others

The duty to treat others as you would like to be treated by them

Rule

The ethical belief that a rule for action is recommended if collective obedience to the rule increases net happiness when everyone is taken into account

Utilitarianism

The ethical belief that an act is recommendable if it brings the greatest good to the greatest number, if it increases net happiness (or decreases net unhappiness) when everyone is taken into account

Hard Utilitarianism

The ethical belief that an act is recommendable if it increases net happiness (or decreases net unhappiness) when everyone is taken into account and when the total benefit is more than any other possible act

Veil of Ignorance

The idea that when you set up rules for resolving dilemmas, you don't get to know beforehand which side of the rules you will fall on

Discourse Ethics

The method of resolving ethical dilemmas by gathering involved parties and asking them to discuss the matter reasonably until a consensual and peaceful solution is found

Duty

The moral obligation to perform an act that is right, regardless of the consequences

Facts

The people and things involved in a decision

Values

The priorities selected to guide decisions

Ethics

The production of morals

Monetized Utilitarianism

The reduction of happiness and sadness to monetary values within a utilitarianism ethics

Dignity Principle

The requirement that people be treated as holding intrinsic value

Consistency Principle

The requirement that similar people in similar situations be treated in similar ways

Right to Life

The responsibility to respect the life of all individuals

Metaethics

The study of the origin and rules of ethics and morality

Descriptive Ethics

The study of what people actually do and why

Civility

The virtue of habitually being and expressing yourself in a way that establishes your presence without threatening or impinging on others

Courage

The virtue of moderate boldness between the extremes of cowardice and rashness

Temperance

The virtue of self-control and the ability to patiently delay gratification

Negative Rights

Those rights that require others to not interfere with me and whatever I'm doing

Perennial Duties

Those specific requirements for action that have subsisted through history, for example, the duty not to steal

Hedonistic

Utilitarianism seeking to maximize any and all sensations of happiness and pleasure

Idealistic

Utilitarianism seeking to maximize sensations of happiness and pleasure connected with intellectual life and culture

Means

What you do in order to reach a goal

Universalized

Within Kant's theory of the categorical imperative, an action that could be carried out by everyone all the time. For example, telling the truth.

People as Ends, Not Means

Within Kant's theory of the categorical imperative, the requirement that people not be used as instruments to get something else

Impersonal Egoism

The belief that everyone should practice the ethics of egoism

To Develop Our Abilities and Talents

The ethical duty to ourselves, requiring us to respect our innate abilities - especially the exemplary ones - by working them out to their full potential

Ends

The goals you want to reach, as distinct from what you need to do to reach them

Act

Frequently referred to simply as utilitarianism, it's the ethical belief that an act is recommendable if it increases net happiness (or decreases net unhappiness) when everyone is taken into account

Soft Utilitarianism

Frequently referred to simply as utilitarianism, it's the ethical belief that an act is recommendable if it increases net happiness (or decreases net unhappiness) when everyone is taken into account

Institutional Business Ethics

General questions of business ethics surrounding unidentified corporations and generic individuals

Cause Egoism

Giving the false appearance of being concerned with the welfare of others in order to advance one's own interests

Personal Egoism

Practicing an ethics of egoism without regard for what others are doing or should do

Business Ethics

Providing reasons for how things ought to be in the economic world

Psychological Egoism

The belief that we're all necessarily egoists; it's an inescapable part of what it means to be human

Reparation

The duty to compensate others when we harm them

Fidelity

The duty to keep our promises and hold up our end of bargains

Beneficence

The duty to promote others' welfare so far as it is possible and reasonable

Honesty

The duty to tell the truth and not leave anything important out

Duty to Do Ourselves No Harm

The ethical duty to ourselves, requiring us to respect our being by not harming or abusing ourselves

Right to Posessions

The guarantee that individuals and organizations may earn freely and keep what they have made

Right to Freedom

The guarantee that individuals may do as they please, assuming their actions don't encroach upon the freedoms of others

Right to Religious Expression

The guarantee that individuals may express religious beliefs freely, assuming that their acts don't encroach upon the freedom of others

Right to Free Speech

The guarantee that individuals may say what they like, assuming their speech doesn't encroach upon the freedom of others

Right to Pursue Happiness

The guarantee that individuals may seek happiness in any way they like, assuming they don't encroach upon the freedom of others