Pragmatists believe that philosophical inquiry must engage closely with practice to be useful and that practice serves as a source of social norms. As a growing alternative to the analytic and continental philosophical traditions, pragmatism is well suited for research in business ethics, but its role remains underappreciated. This article focuses on Richard Rorty, a key figure in the pragmatist tradition. We read Rorty as a source of insight about the ethical and political nature of business practice in contemporary global markets, focusing specifically on his views about moral sentiments, agency, and democratic deliberation. Importantly for business ethicists, Rorty’s approach sets in stark relief our moral responsibility as useful, practical thinkers in addressing the societal challenges of our time. We use “modern slavery” as an empirical context to highlight the relevance of Rorty’s approach to business ethics.

实用主义者认为，哲学探究必须与实践紧密结合才能发挥作用，而且实践是社会规范的源泉。作为分析和大陆哲学传统的日益替代品，实用主义非常适合商业伦理研究，但其作用仍未得到充分重视。本文重点介绍实用主义传统中的关键人物理查德·罗蒂 (Richard Rorty)。我们将罗蒂视为对当代全球市场中商业实践的伦理和政治性质的洞察力的来源，特别关注他对道德情感、能动性和民主审议的看法。对于商业伦理学家来说，重要的是，罗蒂的方法使我们作为有用的、实际的思想家在解决我们这个时代的社会挑战方面的道德责任得到了明显的缓解。