Major Ethical Philosophers Timeline

By artrzo
  • SOCRATES' FOUNDATION OF BUSINESS ETHICS
    469 BCE

    SOCRATES' FOUNDATION OF BUSINESS ETHICS

    Socrates appeared to believe otherwise: individuals only make mistakes when the apparent advantages appear to exceed the risks at the time. As a result, mastering what he termed "the art of measuring," or rectifying the biases that skew one's calculations of benefit and cost, is central to the formation of personal ethics.
  • Period: 469 BCE to 399 BCE

    SOCRATES

    According to Socrates, “no one commits an evil act knowingly and doing wrong arises out of ignorance.” A person will commit only moral evil if he lacks moral knowledge. Sometimes, a person may have knowledge but he deliberately commits an evil act to satisfy his hidden motive.
  • PLATO'S FOUNDATION OF BUSINESS ETHICS
    428 BCE

    PLATO'S FOUNDATION OF BUSINESS ETHICS

    Aristotle's ethics is concerned with action rather than words. being correct in and of itself, regardless of other factors, but through activities that are beneficial to mankind
  • Period: 428 BCE to 348 BCE

    PLATO

    Plato’s main concern is to challenge the views most people have about goodness, for it is here that they go disastrously wrong in trying to live happy lives. Most people think that virtue is a minor good, or even an impediment to living a happy life. Plato considers this to be incorrect; it is only by being virtuous that we can hope to be happy. Only you and time will tell the answer. And when it does come, hopefully, it would be a good choice which is a reflection of your values.
  • ARISTOTLE'S FOUNDATION OF BUSINESS ETHICS
    384 BCE

    ARISTOTLE'S FOUNDATION OF BUSINESS ETHICS

    The desire for pleasure or human flourishing is at the heart of Aristotelian business ethics. Acting in ways that contribute to one's real well-being is what it means to act morally in business.
  • Period: 384 BCE to 322 BCE

    ARISTOTLE

    Aristotle argued that virtues are good habits that we acquire, which regulate our emotions. For example, in response to a natural feeling of fear, one should develop the virtue of courage, which allows a person to be firm when facing danger or fear. Aristotle further argued that most virtues fall at a mean between extreme character traits. For instance, if one lacks courage, he will develop the disposition of cowardice; if one has too much courage, he will develop the disposition of rashness.
  • MORAL POSITIVISM

    MORAL POSITIVISM

    Moral positivism is more than just the rejection of universal, objective, and changeless moral norms. There is always some shift in standards whenever the good is limited to definable norms and not left in a condition of universal exclusion of the evil.
  • Period: to

    THOMAS HOBBES

    Thomas Hobbes believes that human beings are basically selfish creatures who would do anything to improve their position. According to Hobbes, people would act on their evil impulses if left alone for themselves; therefore, they should not be trusted to make decisions on their own. In addition, Hobbes felt that like people, nations are selfishly motivated. For him, each country is in a constant battle for power and wealth.
  • UTILITARIANISM

    UTILITARIANISM

    Utilitarianism is a set of normative ethical theories that recommend activities that promote pleasure and well-being for all people.
  • Period: to

    JEREMY BENTHAM

    According to Bentham himself, it was in 1769 he came upon the principle of utility, inspired by the writings of Hume, Priestley, Helvétius and Beccaria. This is the principle at the foundation of utilitarian ethics, as it states that any action is right insofar as it increases happiness, and wrong insofar as it increases pain. For Bentham, happiness simply meant pleasure and the absence of pain and could be quantified according to its intensity and duration.