Kantianism Ethical Theory - Essay Example

? Reflective Essay on Business Ethics Kantianism Ethical Theory This ethical theory encompasses those acts which are carried out for duty sake and are determined by reasoned consideration. It is also defined by the obedience to the categorical imperative moral law (Capurro, 2008).The theory lays emphasis on the fact that consistency and universalizabilty, are based on the law which treats every individual with the same level of respect and also, with the same level of dignity (Dench, 2008). The acts driven by the categorical imperative are ethical, valuable and helps in the development of valuable moral values, law of conducts, duties, rights and other ethical values. The concerned are the rational human beings with equal amount of respect, quality and human rights. The origins of the Kantian theory are from the Principles of Morals and Legislation in the year 1863. According to Kantian theory, there should be an attempt to make the world a better place and then to pursue the greatest good for an entire mass. Utility is to generate favourable impacts on the intrinsic values like, pleasure, preferences, ideas and happiness. According to Kant, the ethical values are recognized and are essential for identifying the second test of universalizabilty because more than often values are recognized in contradictions (Dimitriou et al, 2011). The rational beings are recognized as the individuals with the potentiality of the defining motives which are universally acceptable and widely recognized. The Kantian theory has provided me with significant inputs which have acted as a catalyst in the improvisation of my existing behaviour and performance in the existing organization. It has helped me to understand the significant difference between morality assumptions and rational choices (George, 2011). There have been various instances in my life where the solutions have stemmed out of Kantianism theory and have offered powerful moral insights and also, have helped in the reduction of the moral disagreements (Holme, 2008). The conflicts arising out of difference of opinions were resolved due to Kantianism theory (Pollock, 2011).The conflicts arising between family members due to difference in personal opinions, were settled with the guidance of Kantianism theory. The conflicts triggered by moral disagreements arising out of personated choices have been solved with the help of the guiding perspective of Kantianism theory. This thesis is utilized to refute idealism theories and states that these values within the ethical systems are of much worth. The theory lays emphasis on the fact that most of the moral values and ethical standards practiced by the society are justifiable. The unethical conduct practices in the organization are due to the failure of implementation of the moral values and standards. The permanent values cannot be embedded into the systems and is found to provide fruitfulness to the ethical theories and systems. The only minuscule difference is that it identifies the difference between the precepts behind the ethical principles and standards. However, this theory has various loopholes and lacks to serve the purpose of a guide. It is possible that an individual can face such a situation in any organization and thus, the employees can monitor the ethical system themselves. Utilitarianism Theory The Utilitarianism theory was evolved by Jeremy Bentham and suggests that a movement should focus on the right action which would serve the benefits of the mass. An action is either right or wrong, but if the action serves the welfare of a majority of the people, then it is following the guided path of the Utilitarianism concept (Roff, 2013). It is a technique which determines the moral value of an action. It helps us in judging the possibility of effects of our actions from the past on that of our present (Roff, 2013). The basic intention of this theory helps to unfold the reasons behind the implementation of moral values and ethics in a society or company. It is a systematic process to justify the moral standards of the society. These are known as “ethical theories”. This theory includes components of normative and descriptive theories. The only difference is that this particular theory studies the logic behind the moral principles and values instead of distinguishing between different theories conceptualized by theorists. This theory distinguishes between parts of the same theory (Roff, 2013). The contemporary Utilitarian theory also helps to define interaction and the balance between the acts with equal considerations of interest that are logical and also extends to other areas. The beneficence is defined by the balance of the equal opportunities and can affect the rationality and logicality of the entire situation. Several instances from my initial days in college had resembled the self conflict theory and these potential conflicts had required the guidance of the Utilitarianism Theory. The protests against the functioning of the college authorities had often led to mass revolt. This mass revolt was carried out by the entire student community and I also was a considerable part of the mass protest. This mass protest was largely influenced by the traditional and contemporary Utilitarianism theory which focuses on defining and determining the beneficiary element in the initiated request against the college authorities (Sadler, 2011). The temporal changes between the systematic movements of the protest required the attention and guidance of several aspects of utilitarianism theory. Sometimes, the contemporary approach can be altered due to the given situation and its conditions. This in turn shows that the altered version was also significant for the college students in order to lead the protests successfully. Apart from protest movement, the revolt against the unnecessary rise in prices also had often led to the revolt from the college students. This was also inspired by the Utilitarianism approach to a large extent. The constant change in the nature of the strike has led to the pavement of this concept in the entire university and has acted as guidance for the student community. Social Contract Theory Being one of the oldest philosophical theories, the concept revolves around the fact that the moral obligations and values are totally dependent on a contractual agreement for the formation of the society in order to live with the guidance of those ideas (Smith and Hansen, 2006). Socrates had used the concept of contractual agreement to understand and explain his stay at prison and also, his death penalty. This theory later was modified by Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Locke. It was popularly known for the different components from influential theory and has been an integral part of the moral and political theory. The morality concept has been considered as a set of rules and regulations for governing the behaviour that would be most acceptable to the rationale people. These components have certain basic entitlements that should be respected. Natural justice in this context would be to provide equitable treatment to the individuals in a required situation with fair procedures and outcomes (Stangler, 2013). As per the philosopher, the macro behaviour of the individuals is directly categorized into two parts, which are psychological egoism and theory of motivation. The psychological egoism will be founded on the state of the nature and gives rise to morality and politics (Walker and Seppala, 2000). The basic idea of this theory would be self-preservation and protection which are inherited in the human nature and to achieve the same, they would voluntarily surrender their freedom and rights to the authority of the contracts. This theory helps the person in authority to conduct, preserve and protect the fundamental rights of property and interest. Through the various aspects of the social contract theory, a new and different form of social organizational state was also formed for the assurance and guarantee of the individual rights, freedom, liberties and equality (Walker, 2000). In my personal and professional life, the elements of social contract theory have helped me to overcome various obstacles. For instance in my personal life, I have particularly observed that the equation of my relationship with my teachers was most similar to the social contract theory. The teachers had established a certain set of rules and regulations which were supposed to be followed stringently and rigorously. These rules and guidelines were set to accomplish the task in a systematic manner without compromising on the liberty and also, to negate the social and economic inequalities. This arrangement was made by the teachers to yield the greatest benefits for the least advantaged. The teachers helped me in understanding the differences between right and wrong actions on the basis of certain contractual laws and agreements suggested by them. I had gained maximum beneficial knowledge from the elements of social contract which had also significantly contributed towards the development of personal attributes and shaping my personality. The teachers were able to distinguish between the right and wrong actions through the guidance of social contract theory. A systematic schedule and arrangement was made to understand the various points of contractual agreement and also, the elements which would help to solve the complexities of problems. By the end of the semester, I was able to sort out my priorities and had been able to efficiently develop and shape up my personality. The social contract theory was beneficial to understand the various elements required for attaining personal goals and interests with the help and assistance from the teachers. The guidance from the teachers and also, from the theory itself, had helped to reduce the number of active and potential conflicts and had led to a smooth transition from an average to a good student. This has not only helped me personally but also has led to the enhancement of the abilities and capabilities. The Virtue Theory The virtue theory helps to maintain the right equilibrium between the right and wrong activities. The benefits associated with it are often gained from experience, cognitive ability, cooperativeness and also, conscientiousness. The mean of the right balance between the two extremes like, excess and deficiency are some of the important components that define virtue theory. In this theory, the unethical elements and conduct depends upon the virtues of an individual. However, the individual must be prepared to define the list of virtues and also, whether he is prepared to understand the extremity of this theory should be judged. Care forms an integral part of this theory and encompasses elements like warmth, friendliness, humanity and caring attitude. It is also defined as the central theme of the ethics of care theory. It will help in sorting out the emotions into valuable and non-valuable ones. One of the major stresses of the theory would be the compelling claim of the moral theory, which would be significant enough to curb down the potential conflicts. This also includes the elements of the moral judgments which are to be universally applicable and accepted. This theory includes two variables which are relational and interdependency. It also aids the peaceful settlement of the growing conflict among the individuals and also, on the engagement of the prevention of the disclosure between the different activities. The virtue of ethic has been a significant contributor in my professional life as it has helped me in understanding the value of the work to be done and the way to solve or conduct it in a systematic manner. I had referred to the virtue ethics theory which has acted as a catalyst while solving the various conflicts arising between the organizational members. I was able to maintain a static equilibrium and also, attain the goals and objectives in an organized manner. The ethics and care approach was employed to understand the rules, policies and procedures of the organization. This part of the theory had helped in curbing the mounting pressure and in improving the building and sustaining of relationships between the organizational members. The feministic ethical approach had helped in understanding the relationship and interdependency between the different elements of the theory. Harmony, empathy, sympathy and caring have enhanced the integration and responsiveness within the systems. I had also been able to solve various conflicts in my personal life with the help of the same. Reference List Capurro, R., 2008. Intercultural information ethics: Foundations and applications. Journal of Information,Communication & Ethics in Society, 6(2), pp.116-126. Dench, S., 2008. How personal can ethics get? Journal of Management Development, 25(1), pp.1013-1017. Dimitriou, C.K., Blum, S.C., Adams, C. and Kim, S., 2011. The impact of a hotel’s business ethics on employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment [pdf] Scholarworks. Available at: [Accessed 11 November 2013]. George, R. T.D., 2011. Business ethics.7th ed. New Delhi: Pearson Education India. Holme, C., 2008. Business ethics: Too little, too late. Industrial and Commercial Training, 40(5), pp. 248-252. Pollock, J.M., 2011. Ethical dilemmas and decisions in criminal justice.7th ed. Connecticut: Cengage Learning. Roff, C., 2013. When Business and Ethics Collide: Yoga Journal vs. Hyatt Boycott. Huffingtonpost, [online] 23 January. Available at: [Accessed 11 November 2013]. Sadler, G.B., 2011. Five ethical theories: bare bones for business educators [pdf] Mission Para Legal. Available at: [Accessed 11 November 2013]. Smith, M. and Hansen, F., 2006. Ethics of business strategy. Handbook of Business Strategy, 40(5), pp.201-206. Stangler, C., 2013. Hyatt Hotels Boycott Joined By Broad Coalition, Including Football Players Association. Huffingtonpost, [online] 23 July. Available at: [Accessed 11 November 2013]. Walker, J.R. and Seppala, S., 2000. Against hybrid theories of concepts [pdf] Pittsburgh University. Available at: [Accessed 11 November 2013]. Walker, J.R.,2000. Introduction to hospitality management.2nd ed. New Delhi: Pearson Education India. Read More