Business ethics - Kant Flashcards
According to Kant, what is our duty?
To act ethically. The consequences are unimportant, it is doing duty for duties sake that matters. This means that the Good will is then followed “which shines forth like a precious jewel.
Why, for Kant, should people not be used as a means to an end?
We have to trust in human autonomy and rationality. Therefore, companies should not treat people as a means to an end - employees should have safe working conditions and good fair pay and customers should not be sold defective goods.
Why shouldn’t companies sell defective goods or be led with false information?
This would not be fulfilling their duty to customers and treating them as autonomous rational beings.
For Kant what role does the government play?
Businesses have a social responsibility to follow moral Government laws. Governments would be expected to pass universal laws for businesses to follow regardless of their consequences.
How should the government make laws?
laws must be formed as categorical, unconditional imperatives and not as hypothetical imperatives and they must be reasoned through duty and not be emotive
Give an example of an unconditional law in business ethics.
“You ought not to discriminate against disability in the work place”
“You ought not to pay below the minim wage”
Give Kant’s example.
The green grocer and duty - a greengrocer should not overcharge his customers because he has an inclination to love all his customers equally or because he can make a profit from doing this or because it comes naturally to him. The good man acts only because of duty and for no other reason.
Apply Kant to customers and advertising.
Businesses have a duty to be truthful and honest in advertising because if not then it’s a contradiction in the law of nature. If one lies then you contradict the very nature of truth. If you break a promise such as promising a food labelling not use certain products then use them, then you contradict the nature of promise keeping.
Why is being dishonest and breaking a promise a contradiction of the will?
You would not will this to be done to you by businesses so you should not will it for others. If these universal laws are not kept by businesses then it leads to disorder.
For Kant, how should employees be treated?
First principle of unviersalisation - the laws regarding employees contract hours, wages, health etc. should be universal laws. Second principle - never to use people as a means to an end - shouldn’t be exploited like in sweat shop factories in Bangladesh, Indonesia etc.
What would Kant say about whistleblowing?
Workers should have a duty to blow the whistle because Kant believes in honesty and truth telling - first principle and contradictions etc. If workers see other being exploited then they have a duty to blow the whistle because no one should be treated as a means to an end e.g. Orchid Care home.
What would be Kant’s views on government laws on whistleblowing?
Would approve of the ones that allow it and protect whistle blowers - these are duties that the Government must lay out and businesses and employees must abide by.
Why might employees be against whistleblowing?
Could argue that they should stick to a contract of loyalty to a business and therefore do their duty - be loyal - Kant doesn’t address this conflict.
In what context would Kant approve of globalisation?
If work is freely chosen and provides opportunities for workers to exercise their autonomy in a job
Work should support autonomy and rationality of human beings and if it does not then it is immoral
Work should not undermine a worker’s moral development
For Kant, what should a global firm do?
Consider all the affected stakeholders in its decision making
Ensure that no one stakeholder has a priority in decision making
not simply consider the number of stakeholders affected when the interests of one group must be set against the other
Relations with stakeholders must be governed by rules of justice
