The narrow application of rawls in business ethics: a political conception of both stakeholder theory and the morality of markets

Authors

  • Marc A. Cohen "Universidad de Pensilvania-Estados Unidos"

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17230/co-herencia.9.16.6

Keywords:

Rawls, Stakeholder theory (normative foundations), Social contract theory, Moral markets approach, Organizational ethics

Abstract

This paper argues that Rawls’ principles of justice provide a normative foundation for stakeholder theory. The principles articulate (at an abstract level) citizens’ rights; these rights create interests across all aspects of society, including in the space of economic activity; and therefore, stakeholders –as citizens– have legitimate interests in the space of economic activity. Rawls work therefore presses us to ground questions of business ethics in political philosophy: stakeholder rights and interests (which are citizens’ rights and interests in the economic context) are protected at the institutional level and are not to be determined by managers or corporations.

Author Biography

  • Marc A. Cohen, "Universidad de Pensilvania-Estados Unidos"
    Doctor en Filosofía, Universidad de Pensilvania-Estados Unidos. Profesor asistente, Departamentode Gerencia y Departamento de Filosofía, Universidad de Seattle-Estados Unidos. Agradezco a John Dienhart, Maria Derdevandis y Jeff Helmreich por sus múltiples y útiles sugerencias, y por su estímulo.

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Published

2012-07-16

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 16 (2012)

Section

Articles

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How to Cite

Cohen, M. A. (2012). The narrow application of rawls in business ethics: a political conception of both stakeholder theory and the morality of markets. Co-herencia, 9(16), 145-184. https://doi.org/10.17230/co-herencia.9.16.6