Guest Essay: Utilitarianism and Business Ethics

Maximizing profits can predictably diverge from what does the most good. When the two come apart, utilitarian principles imply that promoting well-being is more important than maximizing profits. ---Outline:(00:11) Business ethics and moral theory(03:00) Economic arguments and profit maximization(11:23) Utilitarian objections to profit maximization(13:22) Preference satisfaction and alternative accounts of welfare(16:49) Resource distribution, willingness to pay, and social utility(18:41) Externalities and other deviations from perfectly competitive markets(21:46) Nonhuman animals(23:26) Conclusion The original text contained 16 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. --- First published: January 1st, 2025 Source: https://www.utilitarianism.net/guest-essays/utilitarianism-and-business-ethics --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.