Abstract
This paper attempts to provide a conceptual underpinning for codes of ethics in business and the professions. Rule-utilitarianism is a theory of ethics which I believe can successfully do this. Business persons and professionals, hopefully, will be able to develop codes of ethics in a manner consistent with a well-formulated general ethical theory. This will help enable codes of ethics to be a bridge between general ethical theory and specific ethical decisions made in business and the professions.
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William C. Starr is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Marquette University. His most important publication is: ‘Legal Positivism, Dworkin, and International Law’.
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Starr, W.C. Codes of ethics — towards a rule-utilitarian justification. J Bus Ethics 2, 99–106 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381700
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381700