Abstract

This article applies philosophical theodicies and mythological narratives to business ethics, examining how moral and natural forms of evil manifest in commercial contexts. Drawing on Genesis and Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Indian, and Chinese myths, alongside Mesopotamian legal precedents, the author maps motifs of desire, deceit, curiosity and chaos onto corporate functions – marketing, finance, operations, HR, and management. The study evaluates how human motives, institutional arrangements and communication strategies generate harm, and it interrogates practices of risk assessment, ethical leadership and organisational accountability. It concludes that ethical leadership, transparency, rigorous risk management and social responsibility – anchored in historical and philosophical insight – can curb corporate wrongdoing and enable firms to reconcile profit with principled, sustainable development.