Bureaucracy as an Ethical Way
Immanuel Kant believed that the categorical imperative was the basis for ethical action in business. The categorical imperative is the central philosophical concept in the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant, which he defined as any proposition that declares a certain action or inaction to be necessary and denotes an absolute, unconditional requirement that "asserts its authority in all circumstances, both required and justified as and end it itself" (Kant 30). In essence, Kant believed that the moral character of an action depends solely on the principle behind it and not upon the consequences it produces, and therefore, ethical obligations are "higher truths" which we must obey regardless of the results (Josephson Institute 1). In viewing this obligation to follow the higher truths that are presented to someone throughout his or her life, the question of ethics and follow-through comes into play.