As early as the Greek philosophers, business ethics and business practice and the everyday life belonged together and were perceived as being a unity. For example, Aristotle used the image of the household as the beginning of an economic system as a whole. For him, people needed to be morally prudent and far-sighted in this household. Self-interest, if led by egoism, was rejected. Another example of this unity was practiced by Benedict of Nursia, as early as 500 A.D. for whom economic production, faith and everyday life belonged together in Benedictine monasteries.
Also, Adam Smith’s economic theory was based on a Christian anthropology, in which virtues played an important role, and the church played a significant role in the well-being of the state. His idea of self-interest was, however, widely misunderstood. David Ricardo referred to this misunderstanding, and, with his calculations of efficiency, productivity and comparative costs, he contributed to the primacy of economy. Jean-Baptiste Say took the same line when reaffirming that the Invisible Hand, would take care of economic balance. While Smith still included ethical elements in his theory, Ricardo and Say introduced economics as a quantifiable science with mathematical rules which paved the way for the artificial model of the Homo Oeconomicus. This model depends on the maximisation of profits and efficiency, excluding emotions, ethical pondering, and religious convictions.
The idea to be discussed in this paper, refers to the so-called Honourable Merchant that emerged at a time where business was done by single merchants in Europe. It can be traced back to the fifteenth century. The Honourable Merchant had a significant impact on the business behaviour at that time. Firstly, the Honourable Merchant as a person commits themselves to an adherence of values, such as reliability, open-mindedness, and the ability of good judgement. Secondly, the Honourable Merchant in their organisation create conditions that enable honourable actions, e.g., by being a role model, laying the foundation for an ethical culture, and investing in the sustainable and long-term effects of their actions. Thirdly, the Honourable Merchant in their society designs the framework for honourable action, e.g., by sticking to the principle of good faith and trust, taking over responsibility for the society and the economic system, as well as advocating their values in international affairs.
The concept of the Honourable Merchant, thus, tied together elements of faith and business. Dependence on God and activities in God’s church are referred to repeatedly in the scriptures of that time. Unfortunately, this concept has been largely eliminated since the times of industrialisation. The marginalisation of God and religion, the increasing anonymity of business entities, and an increasing concentration of population in the cities has essentially caused the concept of the Honourable Merchant to seem to disappear. Organisations, especially faith-based Christian organisations, may embrace this model in order to bridge the separation between theology and business, and theory and practice.
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