On the Problems of the Conflict between Economic and Ethical Rationality
On the Problems of the Conflict between Economic and Ethical Rationality

Summary/Abstract: The problem of the relation between economic and ethical rationality is important from two aspects at least. First of all we are often confronted with the reduction of business ethics issues to the solution of a single problem, e. g. instruction or training of managers in business ethics, or economic-ethical habits, or the solution of ethical-economic dilemmas and case studies. Paying attention to practical cases, we often miss the nucleus of the problem which is rooted in the conflicting nature between ethical and economic rationality, i. e. in the conflict between profit and ethics, individual (or partial) and corporate interests. The fact that economy has a considerable impact upon all spheres of society, style of life of an individual and a group is another significant reality underlying the necessity to pursue the issue. Jürgen Habermas termed the phenomenon „liv-ing world colonization“ (Kolonisierung der Lebenswelt). Economic sphere phe-nomena, such as criteria of performance, awareness of success, work efficiency, etc. are not only being transferred to other spheres but begin to dominate them. The privileged position of economic rationality is manifested for example in commercialization of art, sports, medicine, etc. and also in introduction of the calculus „revenues x expenditure“ and the transfer of economic values into inter-personal relations. The value of man is measured by his income and wealth rather than what he is and how he acts. Paraphrasing the ancient philosopher Protagoras we can say that it is the man with money who is the measure of everything. Economic theory claims to be the comprehensive theory of man’s rational behaviour. This trend has been termed as „economic imperialism“. Gary Becker in his Human Capital (1964) amplifies the neo-classical theory of investments in the education sphere. He has applied the „homo oeconomicus“ .....

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