Introduction

Trade is one of the oldest human institutions. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs detailing meticulous account keeping provide vivid evidence that business existed in a form which we can still recognize today.

Like the wheel, business is one of the great human inventions. But unlike the wheel, the existence of business depends upon a social context, on unwritten rules and conventions. The most fundamental rule is quid pro quo: I give something to you, if you give something back to me of equivalent value.

Understanding the rules and conventions of business is one of the main tasks for the philosophy of business. In one of its forms, this is known as 'business ethics'.

The other main task is understanding how business is possible — how there could be such a thing as business activity in the first place, or what the existence of money, trade and exchange tells us about the nature of human beings.

There is no more chance that we could return to an idyllic state before business existed than we could uninvent the wheel. That is why socialist philosophies ultimately fail.

But human beings also have a life as social individuals outside the business world. Many of the dilemmas that business people face today stem from the conflict between social demands and the the rules which govern the business arena.

There are no final answers, only the answer that works for you. That is why the definitive book of 'business philosophy' will never be written.

The role of the business philosopher is to provoke questions and set you thinking.