Altruism as an Ethical Standard for Modern Businesses

The final chapter consolidates altruism as a universal ethical standard for corporations. It develops the concept of “total value,” which integrates economic value (profit) and social value (public good), demonstrating how businesses can simultaneously pursue both without falling into zero-sum trade-offs. Drawing on Kazuo Inamori’s philosophy, the chapter introduces “self-interest-altruism,” where altruism strategically aligns with long-term profitability. It presents the “total value chain” – cognition, ethics, strategy, and value creation – as a model for embedding altruism into corporate processes. The discussion extends to philosophical debates on freedom and equality, contrasting Hayek’s defense of liberty with Rawls’ emphasis on justice, to show how businesses must balance these values in shaping their societal role. The chapter concludes that altruism, when strategically applied, offers a coherent framework for modern corporations to generate integrated value, sustain legitimacy, and foster trust. By elevating altruism to a corporate code of conduct, businesses are redefined as public institutions whose legitimacy rests on their contribution to both stakeholders and society at large.