The Internal Morality of Contacting: Redeeming the Contractualist Endeavor in Business Ethics

J. van Oosterhout, P.P.M.A.R. Heugens, S.P. Kaptein

Research output: Working paperAcademic

Abstract

Integrative Social Contracts Theory (ISCT) is arguably the most promising theory of business ethics to date, but it is often criticized for its inability to produce substantive norms. Rather than abandoning the contractualist endeavor in business ethics altogether, we undertake to redeem it by exploring the internal morality of contracting. We demonstrate that substantive norms for guiding and constraining business conduct can be produced without relying on sources of normativity that are external to the contractualist framework
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationUtrecht
PublisherUU USE Tjalling C. Koopmans Research Institute
Number of pages49
Publication statusPublished - 2003

Publication series

NameDiscussion Paper Series
PublisherTjalling C. Koopmans Research Institute
No.15
Volume03
ISSN (Electronic)2666-8238

Bibliographical note

TKI discussion paper

Keywords

  • Contractualism & contractarianism
  • Business ethics
  • Integrative social contracts theory
  • Internal morality
  • Institutional safeguards

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