What are the advantages and disadvantages ofconventionalism as an approach to the justification of the aim of business as a social practice?

After having sufficiently explored the virtue-theoretical approach to business ethics, you are now asked to reflect critically upon this particular approach. If Aristotle, Solomon and Carr are right in saying that the normative standards of a social practice derive their justification from the aim (telos) of the practice, then we ought to ask the following important questions: Is this aim itself justified? Also, are all possible social practices morally acceptable? In other words, if I have to assume the role of a father, or a teacher, or a business professional, etc., where do the aims or purposes of these specific roles derive their ultimate moral justification? And are roles such as being a good mobster, master thief or drug traffickeron a par with other social roles and practices? The easy answer to this question comes in the form ofconventionalism, viz. the view that the moral justification of a given social practice (and its aim or purpose) is a matter of social convention, i.e. what a particular human community agrees upon. Even though conventionalism has its own problems, it at least directs our attention to the importance of the laws of the land. In other words, what is morally acceptable and unacceptable within a given human community is determined by the agreed upon set of laws. As Sandbu points out, however “conventionalism offers no guidance when conventions conflict” (Sandbu, p. 61). The problem conventionalism then gives rise to is so called moral relativism. Your task in this week’s report is to explain what conventionalism and moral relativism are, and why both conventionalism and moral relativism fail in the attempt to account for the moral justification of business practice.

Please, read Sandbu, chapter 4, and respond to the following questions in no less than 2 paragraphs each:

(1) What are the advantages and disadvantages ofconventionalism as an approach to the justification of the aim of business as a social practice? Examineconventionalism especially in the context of Sandbu’s discussion of the two different cases of Lockheed Aircraft Co. (bribery) and Google (censorship). (Sandbu, pp. 48-52)

(2) What exactly is the relativist error? Summarize and explain the argument for moral relativism. By relying on the examples Sandbu provides, explain why moral relativism is an erroneous moral theory. (Sandbu, pp. 52-57)

(3) Describe some of the different forms of contestation of the “built in” norms of role-based ethics, in general, and of role-based business practice, in particular, with the help of Sandbu’s examples. (Sanbu, pp. 57-60)