Monday, September 10, 2012

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:
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.

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:

No comments:

Like it? Pin it, Plus it, - - -

Pinterest: My Stuff, and More

Advertisement

Unique, innovative candles


Visit us online:
Spiral Light CandleFind a Retailer
Spiral Light Candle Store

Popular Posts

Label Cloud

1277 abortion ADD ADHD-Inattentive Adoration Chapel Advent Afghanistan Africa America Amoris Laetitia angels animals annulment Annunciation anti-catholicism Antichrist apocalyptic ideas apparitions archaeology architecture Arianism art Asperger syndrome assumptions asteroid astronomy Australia authority balance and moderation baptism being Catholic beliefs bias Bible Bible and Catechism bioethics biology blogs brain Brazil business Canada capital punishment Caritas in Veritate Catechism Catholic Church Catholic counter-culture Catholicism change happens charisms charity Chile China Christianity Christmas citizenship climate change climatology cloning comets common good common sense Communion community compassion confirmation conscience conversion Corpus Christi cosmology creation credibility crime crucifix Crucifixion Cuba culture dance dark night of the soul death depression designer babies despair detachment devotion discipline disease diversity divination Divine Mercy divorce Docetism domestic church dualism duty Easter economics education elections emotions England entertainment environmental issues Epiphany Establishment Clause ethics ethnicity Eucharist eugenics Europe evangelizing evolution exobiology exoplanets exorcism extremophiles faith faith and works family Father's Day Faust Faustus fear of the Lord fiction Final Judgment First Amendment forgiveness Fortnight For Freedom free will freedom fun genetics genocide geoengineering geology getting a grip global Gnosticism God God's will good judgment government gratitude great commission guest post guilt Haiti Halloween happiness hate health Heaven Hell HHS hierarchy history holidays Holy Family Holy See Holy Spirit holy water home schooling hope humility humor hypocrisy idolatry image of God images Immaculate Conception immigrants in the news Incarnation Independence Day India information technology Internet Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Japan Jesus John Paul II joy just war justice Kansas Kenya Knights of Columbus knowledge Korea language Last Judgment last things law learning Lent Lenten Chaplet life issues love magi magic Magisterium Manichaeism marriage martyrs Mary Mass materialism media medicine meditation Memorial Day mercy meteor meteorology Mexico Minnesota miracles Missouri moderation modesty Monophysitism Mother Teresa of Calcutta Mother's Day movies music Muslims myth natural law neighbor Nestorianism New Year's Eve New Zealand news Nietzsche obedience Oceania organization original sin paleontology parish Parousia penance penitence Pentecost Philippines physical disability physics pilgrimage politics Pope Pope in Germany 2011 population growth positive law poverty prayer predestination presumption pride priests prophets prostitution Providence Purgatory purpose quantum entanglement quotes reason redemption reflections relics religion religious freedom repentance Resurrection robots Roman Missal Third Edition rosaries rules sacramentals Sacraments Saints salvation schools science secondary causes SETI sex shrines sin slavery social justice solar planets soul South Sudan space aliens space exploration Spain spirituality stem cell research stereotypes stewardship stories storm Sudan suicide Sunday obligation superstition symbols technology temptation terraforming the establishment the human condition tolerance Tradition traffic Transfiguration Transubstantiation travel Trinity trust truth uncertainty United Kingdom universal destination of goods vacation Vatican Vatican II veneration vengeance Veterans Day videos virtue vlog vocations voting war warp drive theory wealth weather wisdom within reason work worship writing

Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.