Abstract

We examine the role of business decision-makers in the contemporary world and the effects that business has on the lives of contemporary citizens. We argue that the business decision-making framework has been improperly focused on purely quantifiable values at the expense of ethical considerations, and that its objectives must change if individuals, society and the natural environment are not to be damaged permanently. We investigate some of the philosophical origins of the problem and argue that Aristotle’s virtue ethics has relevance to the development of good business practices today in its broad understanding of the emotional and rational aspects of human happiness. The sustainable development paradigm fits well with virtue ethics and offers humankind the prospect of developing a business model that will prevent environmental catastrophe.