Business, Change, and Profit

I've said it before: change happens. The America I grew up in isn't the same country as the one I live in today. Some of the changes were, I think, improvements. Others, not so much.

On the other hand, some things haven't changed.

Roman Grandeur and Fast Food

Living in ancient Rome was quite a bit like living in a large city today. Folks ate fast food, some used a taxi service, and many lived in apartment buildings:

• "Ancient Romans Preferred Fast Food"
  Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News (June 18, 2007)
• "Cisium"
  "A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities," William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D.(1875)
• "Rome Apartments"
  From N.S. Gill's Ancient/Classical History Glossary, via About.com

On the other hand, nobody would mistake 21st century Rome for the 1st century city.


(Dueduezerosettesettequattro, via Wikipedia, used w/o permission)
Part of the central business district, Rome.

Stealing Information: Faster, Easier; Still Wrong

When I was growing up, it was possible to make a copy of a book: for anyone with a print shop, and a lot of time. Then photocopying machines became part of everyday life.

As I recall, some publishers frantically tried to keep folks from using them. Instead, we got a few updates to copyright law. Today, intellectual property rights law and custom is catching up to what's possible with yesterday's information technology.

But publishing 'copyright' material was wrong a half-century back, and still is. Legally and ethically.

"The Future: Just Like Today - - -"

I remember when 'the future' was going to be just simply nifty: atomic cars; monorails and elevated highways everywhere; and art deco skyscrapers as far as the eye could see. A little later, science and technology were going to kill us all: after driving every cute animal on the planet to extinction.

I've been living in "the future" for quite a while now. What we got was 'none of the above.' I can't say that I'm disappointed.

• Looking at the will-be that was
  • Tales of Future Past
    David S. Zondy
• My take on
  • What's coming
    • "The Future: Just Like Today, Only Different"
      Apathetic Lemming of the North
  • What didn't happen
    • " 'Inevitable Progress;' 'We're All Gonna Die;' and Getting a Grip
      (January 16, 2012)
    • "Global Warming, End Times - 'We're All Gonna Die' Over the Last 45 Years Or So
      (October 3, 2009)

Theft, Social Justice, and Natural Law

Theft was wrong before I was born, and still is. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2401)

Even when it's legal, or socially acceptable, unfairly taking what belongs to another person is wrong. (Catechism, 2402-2402)

The 'don't steal' principle extends to the treatment of animals and social justice: and that's another issue or two. (Catechism, 1928-1942, 2415-2436; "Mater et Magistra," John XXIII (May 15, 1961); "Encyclical Quadragesimo Anno," Pius XI (May 15, 1931); "Rerum Novarum," Leo XIII (May 15, 1891); Amos)

Some laws are arbitrary rules, made by human beings for our convenience or safety. For example, driving on the right side of the road is 'correct' here in America: but would likely get me killed if I tried it in a country where folks drive on the left side.

Some laws reflect natural law: an ethical order that's woven into this creation. Theft, murder, and lying, are wrong because they violate natural law. Laws like that can be officially ignored by human authority, but they're still there: and are as immune to legislative repeal as the law of gravity.

Ethics, Business, and a New View of Profit

The section of "Caritas in Veritate" I'm in now gets back to business ethics, and why 'business as usual' isn't a good idea.

It also looks at the old 'profit/non-profit' view of business - and why it's not enough to deal with an emerging social and economic reality:

"...This is not merely a matter of a 'third sector', but of a broad new composite reality embracing the private and public spheres, one which does not exclude profit, but instead considers it a means for achieving human and social ends...."
("Caritas in Veritate," 46)

The idea isn't that profit is wrong: just that profit is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

Related posts:

• Making a better world
  • "Generic Ethics"
    (September 3, 2012)
  • " 'The Logic of the Unconditional Gift' "
    (June 11, 2012)
  • " 'Civilizing the Economy' "
    (June 18, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Economic Democracy in the Global Era
    • First Things First
    • What's Next?
  • "Street Performers and Making Progress"
    (May 6, 2012)
    Particularly
    • Money Isn't the Root of All Evil
    • Business Ethics
  • "South Sudan, the Táin Bó Cúalnge, and Working for a Better World"
    (January 6, 2012)
• Natural law
  • "Original Sin and the Unfairness of Gravity"
    (July 11, 2012)
  • "My Take on the News: The San Jose Articles, Natural Law, International Law, and Getting a Grip"
    (December 2, 2011)
    Particularly
    • Natural Law?
    • Zoot Suit Theology and Getting a Grip
  • "Going Global for Life: Wonderful News"
    (September 8, 2011)
    Particularly
    • Natural Law: Immutable Principles in a Changing World
  • "The Village, the Fence and the Sign"
    (December 5, 2010)
    A fable
  • "Natural Moral Law, Catholicism, Karma, and the Tea Party"
    (October 16, 2010)