Business Ethics From Antiquity to the 19th Century : An Economist's View

This book combines elements of economic and business history to study business ethics from antiquity to the nineteenth century. This book begins with so-called primitive people, showing how humans began to exchange goods and commodities from trade as a way to keep peace and prosper. The ancients considered the value and ethics of business, and many of their reflections influenced medieval Catholic thinkers and business participants. Protestants elevated working and profit-making to the respectable and virtuous, and some groups, such as Quakers, came to exemplify good business ethics. This book draws on the work of economists and historians to highlight the importance of changing technologies, religious beliefs, and cultural attitudes, showing that what is considered ethical differs across time and place. Front Matter ....Pages i-xii You Can’t Live (Well) Without Business Ethics (David George Surdam)....Pages 1-14 Overview of Business Ethics (David George Surdam)....Pages 15-37 Primitive Trade (David George Surdam)....Pages 39-56 Ancient Trade in the Near East (David George Surdam)....Pages 57-80 Greek Society (David George Surdam)....Pages 81-114 Roman Society (David George Surdam)....Pages 115-138 Jewish and Christian Attitudes (David George Surdam)....Pages 139-156 Islam and Business Ethics (David George Surdam)....Pages 157-179 Medieval Business Ethics (David George Surdam)....Pages 181-203 Medieval Ethics and Markets (David George Surdam)....Pages 205-237 Early Modern Europe and Resurging Trade (David George Surdam)....Pages 239-266 Birth of a Consumer Society in Eighteenth-Century England (David George Surdam)....Pages 267-279 Quakers and Business Ethics (David George Surdam)....Pages 281-294 Labor Relations Through the Ages (David George Surdam)....Pages 295-315 Slavery Throughout History (David George Surdam)....Pages 317-350 Conclusion (David George Surdam)....Pages 351-352 Back Matter ....Pages 353-383