We need more selfishness, not less
Contrary to conventional wisdom, selfishness is a virtue--and we need more of it. For most people being called selfish is an accusation, not praise....
The moral case against universal basic income
Finland, my native country, has decided to end its experiment with universal basic income. This is good news.At the beginning of last year, 2,000...
Why isn’t there more rational selfishness?
I am teaching business ethics to a class of MBA students. The course covers the main alternative moral codes:altruism—the most widely adopted code...
Are there right answers in ethics?
Ethics education is blossoming in business schools (see a Financial Post article). Yet, the scandals don’t seem to go away: corruption at Canadian construction...
Ethics of energy
Energy companies, particularly those producing fossil fuels—oil, natural gas, coal—are under attack by the environmentalists and their sympathizers in the media. It is one...
Which is more important: Creating wealth or “giving back”?
Last week I attended an awards gala called “Rising Stars.” It was organized by Canada’s Oilweek magazine to recognize up-and-coming leaders in the oil...
Altruism is not a guide for living—or for business
Most of us pursue self-interest every day: we eat nutritious food, engage in productive work (to have a purpose and to make a living),...
What’s driving Amazon’s critics?
Shoppers love Amazon. And why wouldn’t we: fast, often free, home delivery of a wide variety of goods, at great prices and easy returns...
Why every business student needs to learn about rational ethics
We all need ethics, a set of moral principles, to guide our choices and actions. Since we have no automatic knowledge of the right...
How mistaken moral views explain bad economics
Morality poses the question: For what purpose should I live and how? Economics studies how to organize production and trade of goods and services...
“The same for everyone”
“The same for everyone”“The same for everyone” are installations of illuminated text by the Scottish artist Nathan Coley, erected on scaffolding around Aarhus, Denmark...
Embracing the nanny state versus valuing freedom
Everyone knows that freedom is an essential requirement of human survival and happiness. Correct? Apparently not. The other day I was listening to a...