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Order Ethics: Bridging the Gap Between Contractarianism and Business Ethics

Author

Listed:
  • Christoph Luetge

    (Technical University of Munich)

  • Thomas Armbrüster

    (University of Marburg)

  • Julian Müller

    (University of Hamburg)

Abstract

Contract-based approaches have been a focus of attention in business ethics. As one of the grand traditions in political philosophy, contractarianism is founded on the notion that we will never resolve deep moral disagreement. Classical philosophers like Hobbes and Locke, or recent ones like Rawls and Gaus, seek to solve ethical conflicts on the level of social rules and procedures. Recent authors in business ethics have sought to utilize contract-based approaches for their field and to apply it to concrete business dilemmas. However, the application of contractarianism to management contexts can cause difficulties. Our article discusses this conceptual problem of contractarian business ethics and presents the idea of order ethics as an alternative. Order ethics, as we argue, can make a difference by conceptually bridging the gap between contractarianism and business ethics.

Suggested Citation

  • Christoph Luetge & Thomas Armbrüster & Julian Müller, 2016. "Order Ethics: Bridging the Gap Between Contractarianism and Business Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 136(4), pages 687-697, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:136:y:2016:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-015-2977-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-015-2977-6
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