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Practical formalism: A new methodological proposal for business ethics

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Abstract

The traditional exposition of Kantian ethical theory in the business ethics literature is abstract, esoteric, and impractical compared to the more usable presentations of utilitarianism. This situation can be improved by identifying and describing the conceptual dimensions of formalistic ethical reasoning, as contained in the interplay between case and principle, with examples from the business/society literature.

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F. Neil Brady is Associate Professor of Management at San Diego State University. He has published several articles which appeared in Academy of Management Review.

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Brady, F.N. Practical formalism: A new methodological proposal for business ethics. J Bus Ethics 7, 163–170 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381864

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