What Two Greek Philosophers Started Criticisms of Businesses, and What Were Those Criticisms?

What two Greek philosophers started criticisms of businesses, and what were those criticisms?

Plato and Aristotle were two Greeks critics on business. To them, business meant much more than to experience pleasure or satisfaction. The ultimate goal of happiness was to attain some objectively good status, the life of excellence through business.

Aristotelian philosophy was related in the use of virtue to business ethics. Aristotle favors the formation of corporations to fulfill the needs of individuals and provide stability to society, but that the goals and objectives of the corporation should be consistent with that of the state and its citizens.

Aristotle also believed there was a benign form of acquisition that consisted of getting the things needed for subsistence.

Plato described the underlying properties that are essential for the possession of the virtues, rather than simply listing a number of virtuous actions. However, he did attempt to connect justice with specific actions. The just individual, by definition, is one whose appetites are under control and such a person will not commit unjust acts nor have any desire to do so. Thus, Plato believed that justice is an internal state of the soul and not a matter of external actions.

Plato believed that insatiable appetites existed in every person, but could be controlled by acquiring inner virtues.

Let’s remember that Plato was Socrates’ student and Aristotle Plato’s student, each of the philosophies was distant from each other but similar.

In the Army we have 7 Values that are taken from the Warriors Ethos (Greek word for character), they are within the word LEADERSHIP, Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage. We use them daily to make the decisions as part of the Army business.

References

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, D. Ross (trans.): 1925, (Oxford University Press, London). Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, M. Ostwald (trans.):

1962, (MacMillian Publishing...