Reflections on Teaching Virtue Ethics in a Business Curriculum

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the author’s approach to incorporating virtue ethics in business education, drawing from over thirty years of teaching experience. Wittmer mentions four strategies he combines in his business ethics courses, starting with discussion on the purpose of business in the broad spectrum of life, leading to an exposure to Aristotelian virtue ethics as he proceeds on the way. He emphasizes the application of these concepts to real-world business ethics issues, in the era of stakeholder capitalism and the many discussion areas that surround it, ensuring that his students are well equipped to navigate the ethical complexities of today's business landscape. The paper ends with an expression of encouragement the author feels regarding his students’ positive receptivity in their venture into ethics courses at the business school, exploring “the opportunity to define the virtuous person they wish to be.”