Business Ethics Education and the Pragmatic Pursuit of the Good

This book is an extended argumentfor the critical importance which justice and ethical leadership should have inbusiness ethics education. The book examines the history of ideas and purposesin education, the contemporary role of business schools, and the socialfoundations of moral education to conclude that the pragmatic pursuit of thegood must be a central aim of business strategy. To meet the challenges offacing society today, the masters of business must be moral craftsmen in a justand democratic private property economy that serves the common good. The authorgrounds this vision for business leadership in the centrality of systems ofexchange in human society, in generating prosperity and providing for thegeneral welfare. Business ethics education has focused primarily on moralformation of individual leaders and managers in the context of ethical codes,organizational culture, and legal compliance. Important as this approach is, itfails to generate a sufficient level of business responsibility to satisfylegitimate social concerns regarding the use of natural resources,environmental sustainability, reasonable limitation of systemic risk in capitalmarkets, and fair allocation of goods and services. If the social purpose ofbusiness is not intentionally embraced and diligently pursued, the economy mayenrich a few but impoverish the society, its resources, and its democracy. Hence this book argues for a new vision of business ethics that isgrounded in public accountability of business operations and outcomes for thecommon good, as a matter of justice.