Issue 3, 2009

Storchevoy M. A. Normative Business Ethics: Problems of Effective Application

The paper discusses problems of effective application of normative ethical theories (utilitarianism, universalisms of Kant, universalism of Rawls) to evaluation of wide range of real business dilemmas. A classification of business ethical dilemmas is suggested to order the infinite amount of various situation of ethical choice in business and then to conduct a rigour and thorough analysis of all ideal types of these situations. The result of this ideal types analysis could be later easily extended to any specific case by finding its place in the classification. Several ideal types of dilemmas are revealed which can not be resolved because of inapplicability of the utilitarian or universalist principles. Keywords: Normative Business Ethics, Universalism, Utilitarianism, Ethical Dilemma, Kant, Rawls.

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