Other-Regardingness

Other-regardingness concerns acts and virtues focused on benefiting other people rather than oneself. In its most narrow formulation, other-regardingness primarily means not harming other people (nonmaleficence). Its wider formulations also require the agent to consider, and be accountable for, the various positive and negative impacts of his or her actions on others. Its application also varies in that many ethical frameworks require giving equal weight to the interests of all people affected by one's actions, while other versions will give priority to particular others, such as family, friends, or fellow citizens. Other-regardingness is a key component of common morality and also major ethical theories such as deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue.

Besides concern for actions that affect others, other-regardingness can also refer to traits of character. Some virtues are considered to be other-regarding, while others are considered to be self-regarding, depending on whether the virtue concerns dispositions that focus on interaction with others or only on the self. Other-regarding virtues include benevolence, generosity, justice, and honesty. These virtues are often considered to be morally superior to the selfregarding virtues, such as courage, prudence, and temperance, because morality primarily concerns others.

Other-regardingness and self-regardingness are not necessarily mutually exclusive categories, however. While some philosophers contend that moral actions must strictly focus on the good of others and not at all on oneself, many philosophers find a convergence. Kant, for example, claims that certain self-regarding acts are moral duties because they are based on proper self-respect and provide the foundation for performing the rest of our moral duties, and several philosophers note that actions can have multiple motives and effects, serving the interests of both self and others. For them, pure other-regardingness is not required for moral action. Similarly, self-regarding virtues can serve the interests of others, and not focus strictly on the agent's interests and character. For example, courage can enable the agent to face danger for the sake of others, in addition to serving the agent's interests and preserving his or her integrity. While other-regardingness may sometimes require self-sacrifice, it is not necessarily equivalent to altruism. Other-regardingness does not even necessarily entail equal consideration of self and others, but only that others must be taken into account in some way.

Besides its role in common morality and ethical theory, other-regardingness also figures prominently in empirical descriptions of humanity. While some accounts describe humanity as primarily or even exclusively egoistic (e.g., as with the concept homo economicus), most scholars contend that other-regardingness is part of human nature. Whether that concern is a product of cultural or biological evolution, or some combination of the two, remains in dispute.

In business, the traditional focus has been on the self-interest of individuals and corporations. The role of other-regardingness was disputed, except insofar as it pertained to concern for stockholders and their financial interests. The business ethics, corporate social responsibility, and stakeholder movements have all contributed to a broader understanding of otherregardingness in the business context, and the need to take the interests of others into account as a regular part of business decision making.

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