Ethics has been closely interconnected with business activities since the dawn of history. The basis for the moral conduct, which applied not only to private but also to economic life, was established in the Ten Commandments, and later developed along with by such prominent figures as philosopher Aristotle in his Politics, Luther, Marx and many others.
The code of ethics has always been changing, from the religion-based to the modern moral philosophy of laissez-faire capitalism.
The 20th century was characterized by the intense propagation of democratic capitalism with its assertive policy of defending the private property and private life. It was the time when the process of stratification of ethical standards began to intensify. It had amplified the differentiation between the “individual”, “business”, and “social” morality. In the 21st century, the discrepancy between business ethics and personal ethics has increased even more.
Albert Carr's “poker player analogy” is the most illustrative example of the modern business ethics which justifies deception, mendacity, and dishonest representation, naming it “the rules of the game”.
It might be a witty comparison, but it is rather tenuous because it doesn't take into account the fact that the deceptive behavior of poker players doesn't affect the third party. While card players are circumventing each other within the framework of their closed community, “the business poker” has an impact on other people, interfering with their consumer rights and their trust.
In my opinion, corporations and their leaders don't deserve an ounce of trust because in their world of profiteering, exploitation of labor and disregard to the general welfare there is no place for ethics, just for “the rules”. We most certainly can't trust such institutions as Lehman Brothers because their overindulgence in “rules” led to the financial crisis of 2008.
We also shouldn't place our confidence in government because nearly all political parties are sponsored by large businesses. The politicians may assure the voters of their honesty but they adhere to the same “ethical standards” as global corporations.
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