Qian Zhao is going to present a working paper on 'Civilization as Moral Background of Business Ethics'

“Ethical vacuum” in business in China is now a conclusion held by many domestic and western scholars. However, this conclusion is too easy to reach. It seems that contemporary China doesn’t have a unified, dominant and consistent ethical understanding. Indeed, one can observe moral pluralism but also moral confusion. And there is a strong call on businessmen to “acting ethically” by business ethicists. Business ethics in China deserves a profound research through moral background study which will help us better depict the difference. In this chapter, by employing the framework of moral background (Abend, 2014), I mainly analysize the empirical data from interviews and written resources of one China local business association. I argue, civilization is one type of moral background of Chinese business ethics. It emphasizes on civilized and cultured personal character.