The muted conscience

by Frederick B. Bird

It's not that most businesspeople lack moral convictions. Rather, they tend not to voice them and are inattentive when others do. Dr. Bird sees this behavior as moral silence, deafness, and blindness, and, following this analogy to the senses, he argues that the practice of ethics is a form of communication. Thus, instead of focusing on specific moral issues, Dr. Bird examines the things that stifle communication about moral issues - factors that have a costly impact on business. His book presents a new, alternative view of ethics, in which ethics can be construed as a practical social activity, not a utopian concept to be contemplated in the abstract. With numerous examples and case studies from business life and a logical, sensible analysis of what causes moral silence, deafness, and blindness, Dr. Bird's book will be challenging reading, not only for professionals and academics in various fields of business, but also for their colleagues in philosophy, religion, and the social scien