Ethics in our society seems to be more blurred than what the average person may believe. Chris MacDonald wrote and reflected on the life of a person who is both a drug dealer and an ice cream seller, and how it blurs the distinction.
The person sells two products: ice cream, which is sold primarily to kids who can’t get enough of the stuff, and highly-addictive narcotic, which is sold primarily to adults who just can’t get enough of the stuff. Ice cream isn’t healthy. But on the other hand, it’s a harmless treat when consumed in moderation. But on the other hand, it’s not always consumed in moderation.
Arising from this is the conclusion that ethical beliefs are rarely rationalized in a consistent way. There is no rational explanation as to why selling ice creams are moral while selling drugs are not.
This can be applied to the field of business, where being ethical is not doing what is best for society, but rather it is following the ethical guide that society has placed for itself. This supports my opinion that while people have ethical values, corporations do not. Therefore, the attempt for a corporation to be ethical is in fact following the opinion of society, and not because it has an ethical conscious.