We live in a "bimoral" society, in which people govern their lives by two contrasting sets of principles. On the one hand there are the principles associated with traditional morality. Although these allow a modicum of self-interest, their emphasis is on our duties and obligations to others: to treat people honestly and with respect, to treat them fairly and without prejudice, to help and care for them when needed, and ultimately, to put their needs above our own. On the other hand there are the principles associated with the entrepreneurial self-interest. These also impose obligations, but of a much more limited kind. Their emphasis is competitive rather than co-operative: to advance our own interests rather than to meet the needs of others. Both sets of principles have always been present in society but in recent years traditional moral authorities have lost much of their force and the morality of self-interest has acquired a much greater social legitimacy, over a much wider field of behaviour, than ever before. The result of this is that in many situations it is no longer at all apparent which set of principles should take precedence.
This book sets the world of business in the context of contemporary moral culture.
1. Introduction ; 2. Obligation, Self-Interest, and the Development of Modern Society ; 3. Free Enterprise and the Power of Business ; 4. Economic Culture and the Legitimacy of Self-Interest ; 5. Technology, Liberalism, and the Weakening of Moral Constraints ; 6. The Crisis of Morality and the Moral Culture of Contemporary Society ; 7. The Moral Tensions of Management ; 8. The Challenge of Contemporary Management ; 9. The Challenge for Contemporary Society ; 10. Conclusion