DO NO EVIL

An effective integration of ethics, morality and business principles.

In a logical progression, Berumen offers an historical review of major thinkers in philosophy and ethics, including John Locke, Immanuel Kant, David Hume, Thomas Hobbes and many others. He develops a framework for universal morality in which moral imperatives are–rather than being matters of subjective opinion–immutable. The basis for universal morality, however, must be the avoidance of death and suffering, not just the general pursuit of good–“Being good is not good enough to be moral.” The author also dissects current ethical debates, including extensive discussions of social justice, animal rights and the environment. He explores the free-market economy, acknowledging what he believes to be the superiority of capitalism over socialism–“My theory shows that capitalism is not only ethically permissible, but also that socialism is more difficult to justify on ethical grounds”–and he highlights the principles of individual ownership and property as anchor points in his argument. He balances his argument by noting that the rights to property must be limited, and that morality provides a check on unrestrained capitalist pursuits. In the final section, the author elucidates the many layers of the managerial and corporate environment, deftly analyzing the fiduciary, social and moral relationships between the players in a corporation.

A fresh, convincing ethical examination.