Abstract

In biological literature, humans are depicted as higher mammals that have suckled their young ones in all ages. This nature-induced nurturance act, among others, is indicative of inherent dispositions for kindness, integrity, tenderness, respect, and compassion – values that highlight moral responsibility. Besides the impositions of the law and the pursuit of a positive social image, the quest for moral rectitude is an elixir that propels human milk of kindness in tending the needs of their kind. The propulsive correlation between tending others’ needs and the satisfaction of one’s goals shows there is no real conflict between duty and self-interest. Nonetheless, there are times when, due to pragmatic expediency, people are wont to jettison lofty moral ideals, thereby calling into question the basis for the thesis of the milk of human kindness. This dialogue between moral responsibility and pragmatic expediency is a crucial exploration of the tensions between doing what is right (moral responsibility) and doing what seems effective or practically useful (pragmatic expediency). It is a dialogue that intends to expose the incongruity of claims that divest businesses of all vestiges of ethics and limit the business of doing business to profit-making. Through textual criticism, the study highlights the inherent dangers consequent on acquiescing to pragmatic expediency as a recurrent universal norm. It concludes by proposing new ways of striving for a more ethical and sustainable business environment that envisions the future of a healthy planet.