BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL

RESPONSIBILITY

LESSON 3: CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHIES AND

Submitted to:

Gimelyn B. Tanquerido, MBA

Submitted by:

Reporter 1: Olyn Prudente

Reporter 2: Anamie Silva

Reporter 3: Irene Porras

ABM-12
 Classical Philosophies and the Evolution of Business Ethics
Objectives:
 Describe how classical philosophies are reflected into business practices

Socrates
He was the son of a mason and sculptor and had practiced his father’s craft for many
years. Born in 469 BC, he received ordinary Greek education but he devoted much time
to read the works of famous philosophers. He had a very enduring influence over Plato,
his student.
He did not write any books; his philosophy is known through the writings of his students,
particularly Plato. He was known for his method of teaching, called the Socratic
Method.
Socratic Method involves asking continuous questions rather than providing answers,
leading students to discover truth through critical thinking. It's considered a significant
achievement in encouraging mental alertness and virtues like sincerity, humility, and
courage.
He believed that self-knowledge is sufficient to achieve a good life. He believed that no
one knowingly harms himself or herself. For Socrates, knowledge is the propagation of
what is good, a virtue, or excellence; whereas ignorance is the focus on what is bad,
evil, and not useful. In conclusion, we are responsible for what we know and what we do
not know. Based on this statement, each one of us is responsible for our own
happiness.

Plato
Born in 427 BC, Plato was raised with a noble background. He obtained a good
education in Athens and devoted much of his life to politics and writing poetry. Plato
was considered one of Socrates’ most brilliant pupils. He founded a philosophical
school, the Academy, which stood from 387 to 86 BC.
Aside from teaching in the Academy, he also wrote dialogues-these are writing in the
form of conversations. Plato wrote the Laches which dealt which courage and

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Charmides which was about common sense. His other works include Euthyphro which
was about piety, Lysis which was about friendship and Protagoras which taught of
goodness. He also wrote The Apology and Crito which dealt with historical events,
particularly about Socrates.
One of his famous works is The Republic where Socrates is the main character. It deals
with Socrates’ discussion on justice and its meaning to individuals and city-states. There
are three classes in a city state: rulers, guardian and workers. The rulers are those who
emerge from the population as the most intelligent members of the state. The guardians
are those who implement peace and order while the workers are those who perform
tasks to ensure that the city-state runs smoothly. These three groups should work in
harmony so that all members of the city-state will achieve happiness and fulfilment.

Aristotle
Aristotle, was a Greek philosopher and scientist, who developed the scientific method.
His interest in science was inspired by his father who was a physician. He joined Plato's
Academy and remained there for 20 years. He also founded a philosophical school
names the Lyceum. His earliest writings were also in the form of dialogues such as
Rhetoric, Eudemus (On the Soul), On Philisophy, On Prayer, and On Education. His
other writings include The Topics and the Analytics which dealt in logic, a study of
reasoning, and dialectic, which is a method of argument.

Confucius
Confucius is also known as Kǒngzǐ, was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and
Autumn period whose teachings, known as Confucianism, profoundly shaped Chinese
culture and governance. Emphasizing personal and governmental morality, harmonious
relationships, filial piety, ancestor veneration, and the Silver Rule ("Do not do unto
others what you do not want done to yourself"), he advocated strong family loyalty as
the foundation of an ideal society. His philosophy gained prominence during the Warring
States period, became institutionalized under Emperor Wu of Han, and evolved into
Neo-Confucianism during later dynasties. Though credited with contributing to ancient

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texts like the Five Classics, his teachings, compiled in the Analects after his death,
remain central to Chinese thought and society.

Virtue Ethics
Virtue is a term which is equivalent to the Greek word arēte, meaning excellence.
Ancient Greek philosophers believed that human excellence primarily involves
intellectual virtues. Socrates argued that moral virtues are necessary for achieving
happiness, the ultimate goal of human life.
Virtue ethics is defined as a person-based ethics which looks at the moral character of
the person carrying out a particular action. It is necessary for virtue ethics to focus on
helping people become good members of society.
Virtue ethics does not focus on following rules but on developing good traits that help
individuals make decisions in life. Character traits examples are prudence, justice,
fortitude, and temperance, when these character traits are developed, it also help break
bad habits like anger, greed, and pride.
Aristotle and Plato are considered virtue ethicist. Plato, in The Republic, discussed key
virtues such as wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice while Aristotle, in
Nichomachean Ethics, believed that people with good character traits help control and
manage their emotions.
Plato virtue of wisdom was influenced by Socrates, believed all virtues should be united
to achieve happiness, stating, "To know the good is to do the good." If one is wise, all
the other virtues will follow. This means that Plato believed that all virtues should be
united to achieve happiness.
In contrast, Aristotle argued that virtues must be practiced, not just known. He did not
believe that the unity of virtues guarantees happiness.
Virtue ethics helps shapes the individual’s character but is criticized for lacking
emphasis on rational decision-making. Despite this, it remains a popular theory and has
shaped moral standards in society.