Philosophy Now Forum

For your information it is my joy to announce the existence of an Ethical technology of which you may not have been aware, namely, the Bcorporation ...a profit-making business devoted to the public good. These firms (in a sense, to some degree) practice Ethics; they apply it in their business model.

Go to this link and look around: http://www.bcorporation.net/community

That link [when you scroll down] offers the reasons that it is justified to call these firms ethical. And they also often cooperate with each other, thereby practicing Ethics in one more way.

This concept - the B-Corporation ( ...the B stands for Benefit) - can be copied in your nation, provided you make the effort to organize the county, province, state, municipality, or village where you reside to initiate such an institution. This means you would set up a central office, or agency, to coordinate such businesses that may already exist in your area, or that you would persuade a business - perhaps for purposes of public relations, at first - to list itself as beneficial to the public interest because of the way it conducts itself. You would then work to get legislation passed to make it official. The offices in the U.S.A. which already do this http://www.bcorporation.net/contact would provide guidance in how to proceed. http://www.bcorporation.net/what-are-b- ... nd-b-corps as does the website: http://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b- ... e-a-b-corp

Jim Frick, for example, the founder of a B-corp named Mightybytes - a website design firm - is described by journalists as "having a passion for social good." These firms also need to make a profit.

Check it out. You might like what you see!

By definition, within the Unified Theory of Ethics, a a business is ethical when it gives equal attention to the customers, the staff, the community (which includes the Environment), as well as to 'the bottom line.' It will have a superior Customer Service attitude, and will treat its employees in a beneficial manner. It will have programs to enhance its community or its neighborhood.


Your comments?

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This social venture, a path to a new economy, has proven beneficial for the most part.

A danger to watch for is mission drift. As they get big and successful, let's hope that they do not forget the principles upon which they were founded.


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Nice bump prof, I read the post earlier but did not myself post, but I think it is a noble endeavour nonetheless.

A danger to watch for is human nature.

Most creeds forget the basis of their foundation because men and women are fickle, and mortal and shame to say often hypocritical hence organised religion. :S

There's a company called the Co-operative over here that basically is a sort of communist company that is run by its members, it's sort of like what you are driving at, non profit pro community and devolved from any sort of idea of profit, unless it is to their community; and all dividends of profit whether they be in stock market share or otheriwse in bonds on the total value of said company end up with their members, so if the community thrives the members likewise get more money if it does not then they get less.

Odd company to say the least, not a charity by any means, but still very non conformist amongst the capitalist PLC.

http://www.co-operative.coop/

What is a co-operative?

A co-operative is a group of people acting together to meet the common needs and aspirations of its members, sharing ownership and making decisions democratically.

Co-operatives are not about making big profits for shareholders, but creating value for customers – this is what gives co-operatives a unique character, and influences our values and principles.

A world of co-operatives

There are many co-operative businesses around the world, of which The Co-operative Group is one of the largest.

We are a group of businesses that share the same values and principles. Whether it’s the environment, animal rights, fair trade or genetically modified food, we want to make sure you can do business with us without worrying about where your money is going.

There are many other types of co-operative such as housing, building, retailer, utility, worker, credit unions, social, consumer, agricultural and political, amongst others.

For more information about The Co-operative Movement in the UK including how to set up a co‑operative, visit http://www.uk.coop/.

For more information on the International Co-operative Movement, visit the website of the International Co-operative Alliance at http://www.ica.coop.

A list of Co-operatives around the world {long list of companies that are socially managed as opposed to financially managed follows but just click on the link if you want to know who and where they are...}

Blaggard wrote: There's a company called the Co-operative that is run by its members ... and all dividends of profit end up with their members, so if the community thrives the members likewise get more money if it does not then they get less.

http://www.co-operative.coop/

What is a co-operative?
A co-operative is a group of people acting together to meet the common needs .. sharing ownership and making decisions democratically.

Co-operatives are about ...creating value for customers –
We are a group of businesses that share the same values and principles. Whether it’s the environment, animal rights, fair trade or genetically modified food....

There are many other types of co-operative such as housing, building, retailer, utility, worker, credit unions, social, consumer, agricultural and political, amongst others.

For more information about The Co-operative Movement in the UK including how to set up a co‑operative, visit http://www.uk.coop/.

For more information on the International Co-operative Movement, visit the website of the International Co-operative Alliance at http://www.ica.coop

Thank you, Blaggard, for a very constructive contribution to this thread. I would argue that worker-owned coperatives are, ethically-speaking, a step above the Bcorporation concept about which I wrote in the o.p. The concept about which you have acquainted us here is the highest epitome of Applied Ethics in the world of economics. Their principles do not bar them from hiring competent professional managers who are experienced and who have earned A-grades at some College of Business. Such managers could guide them and counsel them in maintaining a sustainable business model. If the workers actually love what they do, they enjoy their work, then f rom a socio-economic-ethical standpoint it doesn't get any better than this!

So thanks again for making us aware of this alliance of companies, organized Ethically, that are located in Great Britain. ...Very encouraging

p.s. I agree with the 'No labels' people: a word such as the word "communist" has about 20 definitions, and it is better to avoid using such an ambiguous expression as a descriptive adjective; for it fails to describe any thing or person accurately. It would be more useful, and more-exact, to simply define the characteristics, or policies, spelling them out, than to use the vague label.

What do others think about these points?