Michael Hoffman and Robert E McNulty

On what basis can we say that bribery is “wrong” or “unethical”? The immorality can be seen in the manner in which it is conducted. First, bribery is done in secret, not because it involves a trade secret, but because it is recognized as violating the explicit and implicit terms of a transaction. As such, bribery is a form of deception used to gain unfair advantage over those who act according to the norms understood to govern transactions.

If bribery were simply a cost of doing business, then the cost of the bribe ought to be stated clearly and openly in the contract. It is not done so because bribes are universally understood to be unfair and dishonest, and hence unethical.

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