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Chapter Three:
Roles
Learning Objectives of Chapter Three
2. Explain how social roles generate moral reasons for behavior.
4. Classify ethical arguments as teleological.
5. Analyze how social roles are developed through social practices.
SUMMARY: Chapter Three introduces students to the concept of social roles, role
obligations, and role permissions. It explains Aristotelian virtue ethics in the business
context and explores how teleological thinking can apply to business ethics. The chapter
also discusses the importance of social practice on defining social roles.
Introduction
The phrase
behavior.
Social roles, not impartial moral principles, can be compelling moral reasons for
doing or not doing something. The argument goes that when we inhabit a social role
(ex. a friend), we should perform that role well.
Goodness, Practices, and the Virtues
virtue was the basis of his ethics theory. Aristotelian virtue is
a standard of perfection i.e. what makes something good. To be in a state of
accomplishment is to perform your function well.
The virtues of an X are what makes it a good/excellent/accomplished X. What
a good X is depends on the purpose of X.
Social roles derive meaning from the social practices of which they are a part.
Participants are expected to know and fulfill their roles or become anomalous, or
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An Aristotelian Approach to Business Ethics
Aristotelian ethics suggests a way to do business ethics that is built on social roles.
Business virtues are character traits and behavioral tendencies that make for
exc
Business Life And Its Telos
Once ethics is derived from social practice, its link to social good becomes tenuous.
(ex. internal logic dictates an antisocial behavior)
Albert Z. Carr likened business ethics to poker, which does not follow normal