Shared Ethical Values: Global Consensus?

Are we Approaching a Consensus About Global Ethics?

Rushworth Kidder in Trust: A Primer on Current Thinking says that “the work of the Institute for Global Ethics suggests that there are indeed core global values that transcend individual cultures.”

As we struggle day-to-day with what ethics means in business, groups of concerned leaders around the world are studying common ethical values that could clarify ethical behavior and unite us in a common global code of ethics.

Global Values Transcend Boundaries

The Institute for Global Ethics conducted a survey to discover whether or not there are universally shared global values:

“The 272 survey respondents–representing 40 countries and more than 50 faith communities–identified a core of values centering strongly on truth, compassion, and responsibility. This core appears to be largely unaffected by the respondents’ gender, nationality, native language, or religious affiliation.”

Global Values, Moral Boundaries: A Pilot Survey (download requires registering) The Institute for Global Ethics, globalethics.org

A Global Understanding of Business Ethics

There are two resources readily available that present ethical values in a global context and provide guidance for ethical corporate behavior. The Caux Roundtable Principles for Responsible Business and Principles for Responsible Globalization provide benchmarks for ethical corporate behavior and are available free online. Responsible businesses are reviewing them and discussing ways to abide by the principles.

“The CRT Principles for Business are a worldwide vision for ethical and responsible corporate behavior and serve as a foundation for action for business leaders worldwide. As a statement of aspirations, the CRT Principles aim to express a world standard against which business behavior can be measured.” Caux Round Table Principles for Business at cauxroundtable.org

The CRT Principles of Globalization include new principles for Governments, in addition to the Principles for Business. Just as the Principles for Business, these Principles of Government derive from two ethical ideals: “Kyosei” and “Human Dignity.” The Japanese concept of “Kyosei” looks to living and working together for the common good, while the moral vision of “Human Dignity” refers to the sacredness or value of each person as an end, not simply as a means to the fulfillment of others’ purposes or even of majority demands.” Principles for Responsible Globalization at cauxroundtable.org