This one from a colleague and friend of mine Stephen Hicks, Professor of Philosophy and Executive Director, The Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship.
His submission is:
The Hostage Business
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/magazine/06kidnapping-t.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=adiele+nwaeze&st=nyt
And I thought no one was listening :)
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Self-Interest
Our course concludes with readings on self-interest gone wrong - morally wrong.
We began with self-interest and what it can do right.
Therefore, these last readings should not be seen as damnations of self-interest. Rather, they are sign posts of the boarders between self-interest and morality. The two overlap to a large extent, but not completely. Much ink has been spent trying to show how, indeed, rational long-term self-interest is perfectly compatible with respecting property rights. The fact is, not one has succeeded. A great article on this that I could not get for the class this time is Gregory Kavka's "The Reconciliation Project".
I want you to look at these limits so that you ask yourself the very real question - What do I want out of (business)ethics? If it is to persuade others to do the right thing, then you will have some success, but it will be limited. If, on the other hand, it is to guide your own life and actions you will probably have more success. But hubris is the Achilles'heel of us all and temptation takes many forms.
On this point I think Tolkein was wiser than many ethical theorists - No one can use the ring.
Bill
We began with self-interest and what it can do right.
Therefore, these last readings should not be seen as damnations of self-interest. Rather, they are sign posts of the boarders between self-interest and morality. The two overlap to a large extent, but not completely. Much ink has been spent trying to show how, indeed, rational long-term self-interest is perfectly compatible with respecting property rights. The fact is, not one has succeeded. A great article on this that I could not get for the class this time is Gregory Kavka's "The Reconciliation Project".
I want you to look at these limits so that you ask yourself the very real question - What do I want out of (business)ethics? If it is to persuade others to do the right thing, then you will have some success, but it will be limited. If, on the other hand, it is to guide your own life and actions you will probably have more success. But hubris is the Achilles'heel of us all and temptation takes many forms.
On this point I think Tolkein was wiser than many ethical theorists - No one can use the ring.
Bill
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