Ethics and Business

In the Industrial Era, that culminated in the 19th Century, business was unethical - and that was considered a virtue. And indeed, this worked - the Industrial countries became rich! They also started on a series of wars, culminating in WWII, and the Holocaust.

These were so destructive, they were never repeated - but were replaced by many smaller wars, that were destructive to the small countries involved, but actually improved the economy of the larger countries, because they could sell them arms!

Two radically different technologies happened next - Television and the Computer. And most people thought they were the same. However, the Computer, with its Internet and Cellular networks - built a Global Economy, a process sometimes called Globalization.

People. whether they wanted to or not - had to get along with everyone else. Because what everyone did, affected everyone else!

Did people accept this? Absolutely not! They went completely crazy instead, and formed Trade Agreements, made by the Rich and Powerful, in the countries involved. That made everyone poorer.

I worked for 20 years, in the Eighties and Nineties, in the Computer Industry. In that time, I never worked for a single ethical company - or on a single successful project. The two are related - to be successful technically, you have to be ethical.

You can see this in Software Development - an successful ecosystem (as they call it) that rewards Developers who help other Developers. In this small (but profitable) world - things work right!