The Relevance of Thomas Aquinas’ Moral Philosophy for Business Management

13 Pages Posted: 1 Jul 2013

See all articles by Maciej Bazela

Maciej Bazela

IPADE Business School; Applied Ethics Solutions

Date Written: November 8, 2012

Abstract

Philosophical ethics plays a key role in business ethics. Ethical theories provide normative frameworks which help business actors take more informed and rigorous moral decisions. There are three major ethical theories that prevail in business ethics today: utilitarianism, ethics of duty and ethics of rights. Each one has its distinctive weaknesses and strengths. Since none of these theories provides a flawless account of moral right and wrong, this article aims to bring into the picture the moral philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, the most prominent philosopher of the Middle Ages. Although Aquinas' ethics is hardly mentioned in business ethics literature, it remains to be seen whether his moral philosophy may be relevant in business management and ethical decision making in business. In particular, the article examines whether Aquinas' philosophical ethics escapes the intrinsic limitations of utilitarianism and ethics of duty.

Keywords: Philosophical ethics, business ethics, Thomas Aquinas, utilitarianism, ethics of duty, human nature, human happiness

JEL Classification: M10

Suggested Citation

Bazela, Maciej, The Relevance of Thomas Aquinas’ Moral Philosophy for Business Management (November 8, 2012). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2276509 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2276509

Maciej Bazela (Contact Author)

IPADE Business School ( email )

Floresta 20
Mexico City, 02080
Mexico

Applied Ethics Solutions ( email )

Mexico City
Mexico

HOME PAGE: http://www.linkedin.com/company/2683794?trk=prof-exp-company-name

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