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Spring 2006

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 22, Number 2

Categories: Business | Spring 2006

Foundation and Form of the Field of Business Ethics

Lori Verstegen Ryan, San Diego State University

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JournalofPrivateEntetprise,VolumeXXI,Number2,Spring2006FoundationandFormoftheFieldofBusinessEthicsLoriVerstegenRyanSanDiegoStateUniversityThecommonquipthat"businessethicsisanoxymoron"hasitsrootsinthegeneralpublic'sdisbeliefthatbusinesspeopleregularlyengageinethicalbehavior.Eveniftheydosoathome,theyassume,oncewithintheconfinesofthecorporatearena,theyreverttoaHobbesianformofbrutishness.Surprisingly,thoseworkingintheacademicfieldofbusinessethicsaresimilarlyskepticalofbusinessactors'behavior,andgenerallyseetheirmissionasthereformofbothcapitalismandcapitalists.Thisarticlewillexplorethegenesisofthefield'scriticalstanceonmarketsandbusinesspeople,andexamineitsprimarycritiques.Itwillalsobrieflyoutlinetheworkbeingdonebytheminorityoffree-marketscholarswhoengagethefieldandsuggesthowthis"defensive"positioncouldbeshoredup.NarrowingtheScopeThefieldof"businessethics"mayseemsomewhatamorphoustothelayperson,butithasrelativelyclearboundariesinacademiccircles.Withinthestructureofphilosophicalthought,"ethics"examineshowpeopleshouldconductthemselves,and,underthatumbrella,businessethicsisan"appliedethics"fieldmuchlikemedicalethicsorjournalisticethics.Withinthefieldofbusinessethicsitself,astrongdichotomyexistsbetweenpsychologicalwork(e.g.,businesspeople'smoraldecision-makingmethods)andnormativetheory(i.e.,howpeopleshouldbehaveinabusinesscontext).Withoneimportantexception,discussedbelow,fewattempttobridgethedivide,giventheLoriVerstegenRyan34

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Metadata [hide]

Title	Foundation and Form of the Field of Business Ethics
Authors/Creators:	Lori Verstegen Ryan, San Diego State University
Year:	2006
Volume:	22
Number:	2
Pages:	34 - 49
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Business Ethics
Keywords:	Market economy, Entrepreneurship, Private enterprises, Ethics, Psychology

Citation:
Verstegen Ryan, Lori / 2006. "Foundation and Form of the Field of Business Ethics." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 22(2): 34-49.