But no company wants to invite those tomatoes by going public with a controversial code. On the other hand, a 'safe' formulation designed to please everyone will probably satisfy none. Some organisations will stay silent and try to hold out for as long as possible, perhaps relying on their vision or mission statement. Others may find solace in the notion that their business is to provide a product or service, not a philosophy, and if they have a satisfied customer base, then perhaps they are satisfactory morally as well as commercially. Disagreement characterises virtually every single social, political and philosophical question.
Ethical issues are no exception, inviting heated debate among experts and general public alike.
Many new-age protesters insist that no debate is necessary in many areas. In a democracy, they must be free to express their views, but allowing them to dictate the ethical agenda would be an alien concept. If we allow them to get away with it, we will be no better than robots. Then, I submit, we will truly start to feel the pain. Dr Liebman is a communications consultant based in London.