I have been discussing, in a number of recent blogs, that we live in a world with separate and distinct moral systems. There is the traditional moral system of a zero sum society and the commercial moral system of meritocracy.
One of my astute friends reminded me that commerce is amoral.
So how can we have a commercial moral system inside of an amoral larger commercial institution?
Let me first remind you that my astute friend is correct. Commerce as an institution is amoral. People in business will sell or buy virtually anything without regard to the moral environment. That is why we can always buy illegal drugs, illegal arms and trade goes on with pariah nations that have been under international boycott.
It turns out that the traditional moral system exists within the larger institution of the nation state that is amoral. We have the great genius of Machiavelli who taught us that lesson. He pointed out that leaders of nations must use a wide range of deceptive practices to keep the population productive and cooperative. He taught us that nations have self-interests that are amoral and frequently lead to war and conquest that are definitely not moral.
Therefore I can state confidently that it is not hard to conceive the amoral institution of commerce has within it a moral system that values meritocracy, openness, diversity and technological change.
The two can and do reside together.