Business ethicists draw extensively on Aristotle’s work in defining the purpose of the business corporation. Insights from ancient authors can be valuable in illuminating contemporary issues, but we should be wary of enlisting their authority for our views without paying careful attention to what they might have intended by what they said in their own social and economic context. Business ethicists have argued that the business corporation should be a community within which its members can live a good life; that its purpose should not be to maximise profits; and that it should integrate itself into a range of wider communities beyond its own boundaries and serve their interests. Aristotle would have agreed that the business corporation should not seek to make as much profit as possible, although he might have accepted that – in the light of modern developments in economic management - it should make enough profit to fund projects that would be beneficial to society. Aristotle’s view that the polis provided the setting in which people could best live a good life does not justify the claim that the business corporation can or should serve a similar purpose. Aristotle believed that people should strive for enough and not too much in several contexts, not only in acquiring wealth, but also in defining the size and scope of the community of which they should be members. Some expansive, contemporary views on the communities into which the business corporation should integrate itself are alien to Aristotle’s thinking.

中文翻译：

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重新背景化亚里士多德关于商业公司目的的观点

商业伦理学家广泛借鉴亚里士多德的工作来定义商业公司的目的。古代作家的见解在阐明当代问题方面可能很有价值，但我们应该警惕，不要将他们的权威用于我们的观点，而没有仔细注意他们在自己的社会和经济背景下所说的话可能有什么意图。商业伦理学家认为，商业公司应该是一个社区，其成员可以在其中过上美好的生活；其目的不应是利润最大化；并且它应该将自己融入到超出其自身边界的范围更广泛的社区中并为他们的利益服务。亚里士多德会同意商业公司不应该寻求尽可能多的利润，尽管他可能已经接受了——鉴于经济管理的现代发展——它应该能够获得足够的利润来资助对社会有益的项目。亚里士多德的观点，即城邦提供了人们最能过上美好生活的环境，并不能证明商业公司可以或应该服务于类似目的的说法是正确的。亚里士多德认为，人们应该在多种情况下争取足够而不是太多，不仅是在获得财富方面，而且在定义他们应该成为成员的社区的规模和范围方面。一些关于商业公司应该将自己融入的社区的广泛的当代观点与亚里士多德的思想格格不入。亚里士多德的观点，即城邦提供了人们最能过上美好生活的环境，并不能证明商业公司可以或应该服务于类似目的的说法是正确的。亚里士多德认为，人们应该在多种情况下争取足够而不是太多，不仅是在获得财富方面，而且在定义他们应该成为成员的社区的规模和范围方面。一些关于商业公司应该将自己融入的社区的广泛的当代观点与亚里士多德的思想格格不入。亚里士多德的观点，即城邦提供了人们最能过上美好生活的环境，并不能证明商业公司可以或应该服务于类似目的的说法是正确的。亚里士多德认为，人们应该在多种情况下争取足够而不是太多，不仅是在获得财富方面，而且在定义他们应该成为成员的社区的规模和范围方面。一些关于商业公司应该将自己融入的社区的广泛的当代观点与亚里士多德的思想格格不入。不仅在获得财富方面，而且在定义他们应该成为成员的社区的规模和范围方面。一些关于商业公司应该将自己融入的社区的广泛的当代观点与亚里士多德的思想格格不入。不仅在获得财富方面，而且在定义他们应该成为成员的社区的规模和范围方面。一些关于商业公司应该将自己融入的社区的广泛的当代观点与亚里士多德的思想格格不入。