Proposal of a Japanese Version Ethical Code to Solve the Ethical Issues Inherent in Investment

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K16691
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Philosophy/Ethics
• Research Institution: Osaka University of Economics
• Principal Investigator: Sugimoto Shunsuke 大阪経済大学, 経営学部, 講師 (80755819)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ビジネス倫理 / 投資 / 道徳と自己利益

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent years, "responsible investment" is required for investors, and its management is required for managers. The purpose of this study is to identify the ethical issues inherent in the investment faced by managers and investors, and to propose a Japanese version of the Code of Ethics in order to solve those issues.
In this research, we clarified (1) the issue of "the conflict between morality and self-interest", which has been discussed in ethics, (2) the problem that ethical justification of responsible investment and of ESG investment are difficult, and (3) the problem of how to evaluate workplace environment and health management. Then, we compared utilitarian principles, Kantian principles, and virtue ethical principles as a candidate of ethics code, and examined.

Free Research Field

倫理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によって、（１）「投資倫理」という新しい研究分野が開拓されることで、「応用倫理学の交叉点」のなかで見過ごされてきた投資の側面が明らかになった。また、（２）現在「責任ある投資」は政府主導ですすめられている。本研究によって、責任ある投資の普及・促進につながることも期待される。さらに、（３）投資の問題は「ただ金を使うのではなく、善く使うとはどのようなことか」という点で哲学の根本問題の一つのあり方である。本研究は、この根本問題に対する解明に貢献した。