Ethical blog

Zoltán Valcsicsák who is volunteering in Bhutan made an interview with me on Budhist economics. When did you get introduced to Buddhist Economics? I studied economics in the late 1970s. I was not ready to accept the basic dogma of modern Western economics that self-interest behaviour serves the common good. I always felt that something is wrong with the “greed is good” position. Reading E.F. Schumacher’s essay on Buddhist economics was liberating for me. It demonstrated that an… Read More »Buddhist Economics. What is it and why now?

The painting “Pilgrimage to the Cedars of Lebanon” by Tivadar Kosztka Csontvary is a celebration of the magficence  of nature and the dignity of human spirit. Let us hope in the renewal of humanity in the years to come.

Since the late 1980s mankind has been operating in overshoot. Our ecological footprint has exceeded the world’s biocapacity by about 30 percent. This means that the planet’s resources are being used faster than they can be renewed. The problem is especially acute for the Western countries which use 600 – 300 percent of their fair earth share. A common belief of business people, politicians and lay people is that the problem of ecological overshot can… Read More »Frugality

On 19 January 2010, Henk van Luijk passed away at the age of 80. Professor van Luijk  was one of the pioneers of business ethics and is considered as the patriarch of business ethics in Europe.  He was the inspirational chairman of the European Business Ethics Network (EBEN), an organization that was set up on his initiative, and which he co-founded, in 1986. (See In Memoriam) Henk van Luijk was a strong supporter of our Business Ethics Center at the… Read More »Henk van Luijk died

“Taormina” by the Hungarian painter Tivadar Csontvary represents the state of the world and the state of the soul. What we have today is a partly destroyed world and a much disturbed soul but fantastic cultural heritage and still magnificent nature. Much to preserve and renew.

In July 1797 Nelson led a doomed assault on the Spanish island of Tenerife in which he was hit in the right arm by a musket ball shortly after stepping ashore. Bleeding heavily, he was taken back and his injured limb was amputated. Within 30 minutes Nelson was again issuing orders to his men. (See the full article.) Imagine a today’s CEO who suffers a similar job-related accident. What would he or she do? Almost certainly,… Read More »Admiral Nelson compared to today’s CEOs

In his major books Edward Goldsmith (“The Blueprint for Survival”, “The Way”) he relentlessly argued that for achieving real sustainability greening of business is not enough. People and communities should radically reduce their ecological impacts and try to live within the bounderies of their environment. (See full article.) This approach is reflected in our book “Business within Limits” and my paper “Green Business or Community Economy?“.

The Financial Times ranking presents the Masters in International Management program of CEMS  the best in the world in 2009. As CEMS Business Ethics Faculty  we contributed significantly to raising the ethics profile of the program in the last 12 years. Our various contributions are reported under the heading “CEMS Projects“.

Dr. Rowan Williams, Head of the Church of England speaks about climate change and its spiritual meaning. According to him we have to change our all-consumerist lifestyle and reconnect ourselves with nature and our deeper self. (See the whole interview) His view strongly supports the position we presented in our book “Frugality: Rebalancing Material and Spiritual Values in Economic Life“.