Chapter 4: Being Serious about Being Good

Is it possible to do well and to be good? Such a question is not peculiarly modern or contemporary, for it was put forth by the ancient Hebrews or Greeks. In its contemporary guise this question is about the moral status of commerce: Is the life of business compatible with a moral life, a life of virtue? For some the clear and obvious answer is “yes.” Those who so respond may know or recall specific persons who are both successful and virtuous. However, others may hesitate, perhaps because they know of no such examples or because they do not think that a few examples could resolve the more general question. An even deeper reason for such hesitation may rest on the belief that commerce and morality draw us in different, if not opposing, directions. Business and ethics cannot be yoked together so as to enable a person to embark along a path of prosperity and morality—living well and being good.