Ethics and why it fails to address corruption.
According to research by Professor of Business, Herman Singh:
“Major Blue chip firms and brands like SAP , Bain, McKinsey, KPMG and ABB have acknowledged paying bribes In order to secure business in South Africa. Many have repaid fees charged or been fined.
Oracle was just fined $23m and acknowledged paying bribes in India , turkey and UAE. Major banks were fined over $2Bn for market manipulation Revealed in WhatsApp messages. This included Citigroup , Bank of America and Barclays. Glencore was fined $40Mn for paying bribes in their African operations. This list of names runs into the hundreds. What we are not hearing about is the dismissal and prosecution of the payer and payee, recovery of funds and sanctioning of the executives and boards.
On top of the massive state capture revealed in South Africa it is clear that there a crisis that threatens the very foundation of the compact between business and society…” Full post here.
What is Ethics?
“A branch of philosophy that deals with morality and the principles of right and wrong conduct” is one definition of ethics. Many people think of ethics as a system of rules or guidelines for how we ought to behave. Others see ethics as a more fluid set of principles that help us to make choices about what is right or wrong in a particular situation.
However, whatever our personal definition of ethics, there is one thing that most of us can agree on: ethics is about trying to do the right thing.
The problem is that defining what the “right thing” is can be difficult, especially when it comes to addressing corruption. This is because corruption is often about taking advantage of power for personal gain, which can be hard to define objectively.
There are many different approaches to tackling corruption, but one common thread is the need for transparency and accountability. Without these two things, it can be very difficult to effectively address corruption.
That’s where ethics comes in. By promoting transparency and accountability, ethics can help to create an environment where corruption is less likely to flourish. But ethical principles alone are not enough to completely root out corruption; they must be backed up by strong institutions and laws.
Ethics and Why It Fails To Address Corruption: what is corruption?
Corruption is the misuse of power for personal gain. It can take many forms, such as bribery, nepotism, cronyism, or embezzlement. Corruption exists in all societies, but it is especially prevalent in countries with weak rule of law and little accountability.
While there is no single definition of corruption, most experts agree that it involves the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. Corruption erodes trust in government and institutions, and undermines economic development. It also contributes to poverty and inequality, as well as social and political instability.
There are many reasons why corruption persists, but one of the most fundamental is the lack of ethics. Corruption cannot be effectively addressed without a strong ethical foundation. Ethics provide a framework for decision-making that takes into account the impact of our actions on others. They help us to distinguish right from wrong, and to act in a way that is just and fair.
Unfortunately, ethics alone cannot address corruption. In many cases, corrupt actors operate within the bounds of what is considered ethical behaviour. For example, they may make charitable donations to secure favourable treatment from government officials. Or they may use their influence to get friends or family members hired into plum positions.
Why does it fail to address corruption in our world?
Ethics is the study of right and wrong behaviour. It fails to address corruption because it focuses on individual behaviour, not on systemic problems. Corruption is a systemic problem, caused by the interaction of many individuals. To address corruption, we need to look at the system as a whole, and identify the incentives that lead to corrupt behaviour.
Ethics and Why It Fails To Address Corruption: The Lack of Morals
It is said that ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the question of morality. Morality, in turn, is often defined as the principles that guide our behaviour with regards to what is right and wrong. These principles can be derived from religion, cultural traditions, or reason.
However, it seems that ethics has failed to adequately address the issue of corruption. Corruption, after all, is the abuse of power for personal gain. It is a moral issue, yet it persists in spite of the many ethical codes and systems that have been put in place to combat it.
There are many possible explanations for this failure. One is that ethical systems are often too general and abstract to be of any real use in addressing specific cases of corruption. Another possibility is that those who are corrupt are simply not motivated by the same ethical considerations as those who are not.
Whatever the reasons may be, it is clear that something needs to be done to address the problem of corruption. More specifically, we need to find a way to make people more accountable for their actions and more responsive to the ethical principles that are supposed to guide them.
How can we bring ethics back into our society?
It is no secret that our society is in need of a serious ethical reboot. We are faced with corruption at every level, from government to business to media. It seems like we are losing our grip on what is right and wrong.
But what exactly is ethics? And why does it seem to be failing us?
Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with morality, specifically with the question of what is right and wrong. It covers a wide range of topics, from personal relationships to professional conduct to global issues.
The reason ethics fails to address corruption is because it is often seen as subjective and relative. What one person may deem as right or wrong may not be seen that way by someone else. This makes it difficult to create hard and fast rules about ethical behaviour.
However, this does not mean that we should give up on ethics altogether. In fact, we need it now more than ever. By understanding ethics and its role in our society, we can start to make the changes needed to create a more just and moral world.