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According to conventional morality, either a business manager maximizes profits and compromises on morality, or sacrifices profits in order to remain moral. Woiceshyn explains why this is a false dichotomy and offers rational egoism as an alternative moral code to managers who want to be both profitable and moral.
List of contents
Introduction: How to Be Profitable and Moral
Which Ethics? ¿ Overview
Values as End Goals, Principles as Road Maps
The Necessity of Pursuing Objective Values: An Issue of Life and Death ¿ The Necessity of Guiding Principles: Why Acting on the Spur of the Moment Is Harmful ¿ Rational Moral Principles Are Contextual-But Not Relative
Why Egoism?
The Principle of Self-Interest ¿ Human Nature as the Gauge of Value ¿ Why
Happiness Cannot Be the Standard of Value
Rationality as the Primary Virtue
Thinking as the Main Means of Survival-and of Being Moral ¿ The Virtue of Rationality in Business ¿ What Rationality Requires in Thinking and in Action ¿ The Role of Emotions ¿ Guarding against Irrationality ¿ Applying Rationality
Productiveness
Material and Spiritual Benefits of Productiveness ¿ Productive Work Requires
Thinking and Action ¿ What about Rest and Retirement? ¿ Guarding against
"Unproductiveness" ¿ Applying Productiveness
Honesty
Why Is Honesty Egoistic? ¿ Honesty in Thinking and Action ¿ Guarding against Dishonesty ¿ Applying Honesty
Justice
Justice in Thinking ¿ Justice in Action ¿ Justice as Contextual ¿ Justice as Trade ¿ Guarding against Injustice ¿ Applying Justice
Independence
Relevance of Independence in Business ¿ Independence in Thinking ¿ Independence in Action ¿ Guarding against Second-Handedness ¿ Applying Independence
Integrity
Relevance of Integrity in Business ¿ Integrity in Thinking and Action ¿ How to Guard against Failures of Integrity¿ Applying Integrity
Pride
Relevance of Pride in Business ¿ Pride in Thinking and Action ¿ Pride as Contextual ¿ Humility as Anti-Virtue and How to Guard against It ¿ Applying Pride
Common Misconceptions about Egoism
Selfishness (and Greed) ¿ Charity ¿ Conflicts of Interest
The Social Context of Business: Capitalism, Rights, Government and the Current Reality
Production, Trade and Their Proper Social Context: Capitalism ¿ Individual Rights ¿ Initiation of Physical Force as Evil ¿ The Role of Government ¿ The Current Reality
How to Pursue Rational Self-Interest in a Mixed Economy
Defending Business to Create a More Pro-Business Environment ¿ Running a Business and Resolving Moral Dilemmas Objectively
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
About the author
By Jaana Woiceshyn
Summary
According to conventional morality, either a business manager maximizes profits and compromises on morality, or sacrifices profits in order to remain moral. Woiceshyn explains why this is a false dichotomy and offers rational egoism as an alternative moral code to managers who want to be both profitable and moral.
