„Experts without soul and hedonists without heart.“ Ethical principles of companies in historical contexts

Abstract

Were ethics and morality always considered superior to profit, or was it the other way around? First profit, then ethics and morality? There are countless examples in which unethical behavior, selfish corruption, and other offenses against good morals have been discovered and caused long-term damage in the loss of trust -this is still true today. On the other hand, there are many examples from the history of business where adherence to ethical principles has "paid off". The rules of conduct in accordance with the customs of society have formed a part of many companies' economic behavior -"Being ethical is good for business".