confronted with the problem that economists have no other way to approach reality without concentrating on questions of utility." ( Zaratiegui J. 1999) It is this focus on utilitarianism and the profit margin central to the capitalistic mode of economic production, which brings it into conflict with other issues and views and often results in a negative ethical assessment of business and economics. .

             Therefore many critics are of the opinion that in an ethical sense the utilitarian focus of modern capitalism should be criticized. More importantly, theorists note that, "The nature of modern economics has been substantially impoverished by the distance that has grown between economics and ethics . [economics] can be more productive by paying greater and more explicit attention to the ethical considerations that shape human behaviour and judgement." (Sen, A. 1987, p 7.).

             It should also be noted that this debate and the alleged dissociation between economic thought and praxis and various ethical and critical stances, is a fairly recent phenomenon. In its origins modern economics was intimately connected to ethics and ethical motivations. .

             Sen reminds us of the contrast between the "non-ethical" feature of modern economics and its genesis as an offshoot of ethics. At the time of its inception, then, the language of economics was comprised of normative elements. Nevertheless, over time, economics came to be considered an autonomous science, and its language and value judgments become increasingly more "positive." .

             ( Zaratiegui J. 1999) .

             It is this change in economic thought and praxis and the move towards a neutral or " value free" attitude towards ethical issues, with science as the motivating example, that has essentially created the present debate. .

             However the debate about ethical involvement and responsibilities in economics continues to vacillate from one point of view to the other.