Economic ethics

Author: George
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2002-03-01
Features: This book attempts to systematically, reasonably, and comprehensively cover the field of business ethics. It first discusses and analyzes the necessity of economic moral issues and the required moral reasoning skills, thereby introducing the fundamental questions of moral issues in economic systems. Second, the book addresses various real and pressing moral issues in businesses, ranging from labor rights to the legitimate use of computers. Due to changes in businesses, the revised edition strives to reflect the ethical issues arising from these changes, particularly those stemming from information technology and corporate globalization. For each chapter, I begin with one or two cases that can lead to discussions related to the chapter's content. Most chapters include numerous real and hypothetical case studies to illustrate specific principles, demonstrate methods for analyzing moral issues, and compare different approaches to addressing the same problem. For those seeking more cases, daily newspapers provide abundant, new material for analyzing business ethics issues. Although the chapters collectively form a comprehensive overview of economic ethics, each chapter can be studied independently. Those who wish to skip certain analyses and focus on specific issues need not worry about difficulties in understanding. Those who wish to delve deeper into a particular issue can find suggestions and bibliographies on different perspectives of controversial issues in the notes. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions on key issues, serving as a guide for students studying the chapter. These questions also include brief descriptions of one or two case-related issues not explicitly discussed in the chapter, which can be used for discussion, reflection, and written assignments. All revised editions of this book have incorporated new major research and considered relevant economic and social developments. This edition is no exception. In addition to cases and notes, all chapters have been significantly revised to keep up with new developments. The order of chapters has also been slightly adjusted. Moreover, the concept of business and responsibility is discussed separately in different chapters. I have added material on information technology and a discussion on international trade issues in this edition. Despite these changes, the purpose, method, and main focus of the book remain unchanged. American businesses can be more ethical. This book aims to help readers think about how to achieve this goal.