Aristotles Influence on Current Business and Accounting Ethics

Essay by bdfprodUniversity, Master'sA, March 2010

download word file, 4 pages 4.0

Downloaded 30 times

�PAGE � �PAGE �1�

Aristotle's Influence

On

Business and Accounting Ethics

Aristotle's Influence On Business and Accounting Ethics

Aristotle's Influence On Business and Accounting Ethics

Abstract

Ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos meaning moral, showing moral character (Rakoczy, C. 1996). There is no way to determine how, when, or where ethics originated. Ethics address many questions such as what's good or bad? What's right or wrong? How shall we live? What do we pursue? Many of these issues affect our everyday lives. There now exists clear codes of ethics for business, but how did they come about and evolve? Aristotle the Greek philosopher has had the greatest influence on our current day business ethics and leadership views. Aristotle's views were ones of virtue, which he felt was the most important aspect of ethics. His theory titled Nicomachean ethics states that all human activities are means to an end, the final end being happiness.

Through lists of questions business owners, leaders, or employees can evaluate themselves and determine if their actions are ethical and in the best interest of all parties involved. If business were run on Aristotle's philosophies, unethical practices would be unheard of.

Aristotle's Influence On Business and Accounting Ethics

Introduction

The purpose of Aristotle's ethical philosophies was to create the greatest potential for all persons involved with an organization. The job of an organizations leader is to create an environment in which their followers have the greatest potential (O'Toole, J. 2008). A leader who creates the greatest potential for his followers will experience pleasure by knowing they behaved in the right way for the right reasons, this is the leaders end goal of pleasure. Aristotle's philosophy meshed with modern day business would suggest a practical management framework for contemporary business practitioners by providing a virtue-based moral...