ABSTRACT

The prevalence of unethical practices forces legislative, judicial, and regulatory entities to confront free-market capitalism on a moral level. One example of the importance of properly exercising political authority over corporations can be found in India, where epidemic dropsy has become a significant public health problem (Sharma et al. 1999). Symptoms of dropsy are nightmarish, ranging from bleeding eyes to kidney failure. This problem originates in the widespread use of edible mustard-based oils containing two major toxins. The epidemic could be prevented, according to Sharma et al. (1999), by way of several government actions that could work against the immediate interests of corporations. These measures include banning the sale of mustard oil that is not adequately tested and labeled, strict enforcement of the Indian Food Adulteration Act, and exemplary punishment for unscrupulous traders and regulators. These actions require an ethics that transcends a narrow freemarket philosophy.