How capitalism helps everyone flourish
In my business ethics course we always discuss the social context of business, particularly the implications of different social systems: the prevailing mixed economy,...
No more altruism! Rejecting the ethics of self-sacrifice
The first part of this post’s title is a quotation from a student in my business ethics class. She had said that to her...
The crucial need for rational ethics in business
I recently reviewed student comments on the business ethics course I taught this year. They were overwhelmingly positive, which of course is heart-warming to...
Moral = practical
Recently I heard a colleague tell someone: “Everyone—except the naïve idealists—knows that one cannot be 100% moral in business; success in business requires compromising...
Is egoism an obvious moral choice?
My book, How to Be Profitable and Moral: A Rational Egoist Approach to Business, has been translated into Finnish and was recently published in...
How to be profitable and moral in 2019
The title of this post takes its cue from columnists and bloggers who offer advice for the coming year at this time, although a...
Embracing the nanny state vs. valuing freedom
Everyone knows that freedom is an essential requirement of human survival and happiness. Correct? Apparently not.
Recently I was listening to a morning radio show...
What is business ethics for?
A new semester, and a new class of business ethics, has begun. In my class, we initially discuss concrete examples of ethical dilemmas in...
Why business requires moral clarity and courage
Why would a practical endeavor such as business—creating wealth through production and trade of goods and services—require moral clarity and courage, you may ask....
How business improves lives
I have just returned from the world’s biggest gathering of business school academics who study management and organizations, the annual meeting of the Academy...
Persistent egoism: Why pursue self-interest?
Many people balk at the idea of ‘persistent egoism’ that I addressed in a recent post. They do so because they have absorbed the...
Why Jeff Bezos should say no to the Billionaires’ Pledge
Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon, recently became the richest person in the history of the world, as his net worth climbed...