A modest proposal for more kindness in business.

Abstract

Capitalism’s most essential problem is not an economic problem at all, but it is primarily a problem concerning human values. As odd as it may seem, especially for those of us who studied at business schools, the fundamental tasks for today’s capitalists are to identify, reflect, and understand the rich and complex variety of values necessary for human flourishing and to consciously design and to co-create organizations that will produce enough wealth for everyone, on the one hand, and to contribute to the development and well-being of workers, consumers, and society, across a hierarchy of various needs, on the other hand. The thesis of this chapter is that these new tasks demand a new level of consciousness, one informed not only by business, but by a broad and varied spectrum of philosophies including world religions and spiritualities. The specific purpose of this chapter is to explore the potential contributions of a broadly expanded conception of Jewish business ethics to the task of contributing to the continued emergence of a new kind of more self-conscious capitalism.