THE CLASSICAL

PHILOSOPHIES AND
THEIR IMPLICATIONS
ON BUSINESS
“The struggles of well-known philosophers are still relevant
today as they were 2,500 years ago.”
Learning objectives:
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. identify the classical philosophies and their implication
for business principles and practices
2. compare and contrast classical philosophies as they
relate to business setting
 SOCRATES
“Have the courage to disagree.”
• Socrates was placed on trial and found guilty of
“corrupting the youth” of Athens by asking them
to question authority.
• He did not accept that judging an action based on
life and death is virtuous but instead, decisions
should come from what was right or wrong, and
standards can be attained through discussion and
moral guidance.
• His belief in the process of inquiry was so strong
and untainted that it got him killed by being
forced to drink poison that the jailer gave him.
 SOCRATES
“Have the courage to disagree.”
• In the business world, managers
should be responsible in their
actions and must be prepared to be
fired or demoted rather than go
against their conscience.
• Employees must provide critical
feedback to managers or “blow the
whistle” in cases of bad behaviours.
 PLATO
“The Power to Rule”
Plato accepted the advise for the education of
the dictator of Syracuse where his theory of
government was tested. The dictator Dionysius,
was not an appropriate pupil, and when Plato
reprimanded him for his foolishness, Plato was
placed in chains, and sentenced to death. Dion
got the death sentence changed but Plato was
made a slave. After that Annecires, a member of
the Cyrenaic school of philosophy paid for Plato’s
freedom and was allowed to return to Athens.
 PLATO
“The Power to Rule”
• Plato believed that only those persons who
possessed scholarly as well as ethical duties
should be trusted with the control to rule
above others.
• According to him, each social class must
happily perform the function for which it is
suited like the philosopher rules, the
warrior fights, and worker enjoys the fruit
of his labor.
 PLATO
“The Power to Rule”
• In business, it is always important to know
the strengths and weaknesses of everyone
in the organization, from the top executive
to the ordinary employee.
• Companies must fit the exact natural
talents of qualified applicants with the job
requirements and expectations.
• Each job has a set of behaviours that let the
right person to stand out because that
person is so perfectly matched.
 ARISTOTLE
“Let people speak fulfillment.”
• At the age of seventeen, he studied in Plato’s Academy
in Athens and kept a good relationship with Plato for
twenty years.
• Plato established that the role of the leader is to
create the conditions under which followers can attain
their full potential and to enhance his own power.
• He based his ethics on a psychological theory of
human nature, claiming that people are by nature
virtuous, rational, social and happiness-seeking.
• Organizations have to build the best systems to allow
humans to carry out their natural drives.
 ARISTOTLE
“Let people speak fulfillment.”
• In business, organizations must provide an
environment that is conducive to human
growth and development.
• Employees will be inspired to work if they
know that their contributions to the company
are significant and morally valuable and also if
they are given opportunities to learn new skills
or knowledge.