Irony of “Corporate Ethics”
No, the irony of the term “Corporate Ethics” (or “Business Ethics”) is not the oh-so-tired joke about it being an oxymoron.
The irony of the modern usage of the term is that, most places you look, it’s become a synonym for “corporate law-breaking.” Check out the Washington Post’s Business Ethics Page. See anything that DOESN’T involve criminal charges?
Clue for the uninitiated: this is ironic because, on Day 1 of Business Ethics 101, the first thing you learn is that ethics is not the same as law. I have no idea whether anything can be done to rescue the term “ethics” from it’s current deflationary usage.
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Update, Nov. 16 2008:
I’ve updated the link to the WP’s business ethics page, above. They seem to have moved the page.
The Business Ethics Blog 
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