Ethics and Business - Learning from the Greeks
Socrates (470 BC - 399 BC)

Socrates, born in Athens and a member of the legislative council, was condemned by "the intolerant, unethical, democratic state" to die (399 BC) because he allegedly

• corrupted the young (he educated two friends on democracy and this was seen to be encouraging them to betray their country
• refused to recognise the accepted Gods and religious practices. He was executed by being forced to commit suicide by drinking poison (hemlock).

Socrates offered a defense butin the democratic state was convicted 280 votes to 220 and sentenced to death. Friends planned an escape, but he took the view that a "legitimate court sentenced him so he would obey."

Business Implications?

• The 'legitimate court' idea helps society define right vs. wrong as compared to just vs. unjust.

Imagine Socrates to be a respected guru, a thinker who in the park, out on the patio or in a publ lead discussions about life and the nature of thought. The Socratic method is inquiry based on

• asking questions,
• defining the nature of the problem
• and then asking what sort of answers are acceptable.

For Socrates, real (absolute) moral rules (knowledge) existed and worth pursuing for their own sake. Socrates encouraged others to think for themselves and question moral values. A typical Socratic view is that a wise man recognises how little he knows. Discussion and argument as a cooperative activity expands understanding and knowldge.

So Socratic ethics is about knowing oneself. Human beings exist for a purpose (teleological view) and have an inner real self. This needs to be understood as the goal is to achieve perfection of this real self or soul. Morality is not just lawful obedience it is something more spiritual. Moral knowledge is about

• knowing who we are
• we thus come to know how to behave well.
• such (real) knowledge is is about essences of things like right behaviour or justice
• it is obtained through debate and discussion it can't really be taught but discover for ourselves.
• we then have an inner eye and can see things clearly

As virtue is knowledge, no one does wrong knowingly - dangerous stuff - a personal vision of spiritual perfection.

Problems

• Is discussion and argument always the best way to find out knowledge?
• Are there such things as essences?
• Do we have a real inner self or function and how would we know it when we had dicovered it
• Is morality a kind of knowledge like biology or is it more like mathematics?

Morality as self-discovery. But isn't morality more about relationships with other people and taking responsibility for our actions> Once we know what is right, we will never do wrong (Scorates). But what about all those wrongdoers who no what they are doing is wrong and still do it? What about the weak-willed who can't bring themselves to do the right thing? Isn't choice as important as knowing?

He told the story of Gyges.

Socrates' view of change

• Existence of Change
  change exists, but only in the lower realm of corporeal restlessness, not in the stable realm
• Causes of Change
  Man's intellectual quest for abstract, higher order ideals
• Is Change Good?
  Probably not - the world of change is one of degeneration and decay! What does modern business contribute to this? Anyone want to offer a postmodernist perspective?
• Management of Change
  Socrates emphasises stable ideas and forms. Disciplined use of the intellect gives control over chaos (sounds like scientific management certainties!). Only a few will succeed and they should make decisions! Is the implication that top management alone knows what is best and should set an example for others in the company to follow?