Do you believe that business has any direct ethical duties to living things other than human beings?
The conduction of business is important to the growth and development of the economy as whole. It is thus advisable for human beings to involve themselves in all sorts of profitable businesses so as to improve the livelihood of the people around them. For one to take on any type of business, they need to have a level of business ethic that guides them on their activities. Although the law is clear on the rules and regulations that pertain to the rights of human beings, businessmen have on many occasions ignored their rights. Human beings however have an advantage in that they have provisions to voice their concern if their rights are infringed. This has left the rights of the non human living things such as animals and plants unnoticed. Human beings have a direct ethical duty to these living things. An example can be seen in the level of urbanization that has led to the displacement of both plants and animals from their natural habitat.
What criteria have you used in answering these questions?
The criteria that I have used to answer these questions are the based on the current condition of the environment in relation to the rate of urbanization over the years. If the recent state of the environment is compared to the situation 50 years ago, one will notice a big difference in terms of the livelihood of the plants and animals which have been compromised. The increased globalization has led to an increase in the urbanization. Urbanization has in turn led to the maximization of the few remaining resources such and land and the natural resources. This exploitation has spiraled to an extent where the business activities have become questionable to the in terms of the observation of ethics. Some of the ways in which the rights have been breached has been seen through the destruction of various plant reserves to accommodate the demand of land. Another way in which the businesses have served as a disadvantage is the use of animals for animal testing. Such forms of exploitation indicate that other forms of living things are indeed affected by the business activities.
What are your standards for understanding your moral point of view?
My standards for understanding my moral point of view are determined by several factors. Different people have different levels of situations that they can tolerate. This simply means that what one person may deem as ethical may not be ethical to another. This is influenced by the culture we belong which plays a big role in what we perceive as moral and immoral. One of the standards I base my stance on is the measuring the rate of the living things that are affected as a result of business. It does not take a lot to see the damage that the conduction of aggressive business has done to the original state of our environment. Some of the activities that are carried out are repugnant to the dignity of these features and thus need to be given a lot of consideration. Another factor that validates my moral point of view is the view of the other members of the society. Apart from my own personal take on the matter, other members have voiced their concern on the way that business activities are affecting all the members of the community as a whole. This indicates that several people are not in agreement with the conduction of these activities. This further proves that my moral point of view is reflective of that of the society and thus holds a lot of weight.
