Publications

Buddhist economics – an enlightened approach to the dismal science

Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Buddhist economics – an enlightened approach to the dismal science.’ Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 2019, vol.16, no. 2, pp. 231-233 Clair Brown is a well-established economics professor at UC Berkeley. Her new book provides a fresh, new insight into the field of Buddhist economics. What is the real novelty of Clair Brown’s book is that it connects Buddhist economic thought with the latest results of Western economics and presents a coherent and robust vision… Read More »Buddhist economics – an enlightened approach to the dismal science

Caring Management in the New Economy – Socially Responsible Behaviour Through Spirituality

Ora Setter & Laszlo Zsolnai (Eds.): Caring Management in the New Economy – Socially Responsible Behaviour Through Spirituality. Palgrave, London, 2019. (This book may be available at Palgrave) This edited book frames a new ethos of management that cares for society, future generations and nature whilst also serving the interests of business and the wider community. Employing the practical wisdom of faith traditions, the chapters develop the use of spirituality as a resource for creating… Read More »Caring Management in the New Economy – Socially Responsible Behaviour Through Spirituality

The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions

Laszlo Zsolnai & Bernadette Flanagan (Eds.): The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions. Routledge, London and New York, 2019. (This book may be available at https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-International-Handbook-of-Spirituality-i…) Increasingly, it is being recognized that spirituality, defined here as “a multiform search for a transcendent meaning of life that connects them to all living beings and brings them in touch with God or ‘Ultimate Reality,’” is an aspect of almost every sphere and aspect… Read More »The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions

Love in Business: Sentimentality or the Ultimate Virtue?

Kenneth J. Barnes and Laszlo Zsolnai made a joint presentation on “Love in Business: Sentimentality or the Ultimate Virtue?” at the European SPES Annual Conference in May 24-26, 2018 in Leuven, Belgium. They argued that On the basis of calculative self-interest business cannot regain trust from the public and cannot get deep support from its stakeholders. For re-establishing trust and getting deep support business should show that it loves and serves its all stakeholders. Love… Read More »Love in Business: Sentimentality or the Ultimate Virtue?

Why Do We Need Contemplative Aproaches in Economics and Management?

Laszlo Zsolnai, Gabor Kovacs, & Andras Ocsai ‘Why Do We Need Contemplative Aproaches in Economics and Management?’ Society and Economy, 2018, vol.40, no. 4, pp. 493-496 Contemplative traditions (including meditation) are one of the oldest traditions of humanity. It has been present in all major religions in one way or another. Meditation is at the heart of contemplative traditions. It can be defined in various ways. Walsh and Shapiro (2006, 228-229) state that mediation refers to “a family of self-regulation… Read More »Why Do We Need Contemplative Aproaches in Economics and Management?

Buddhist Economics – An Overview

Clair Brown, & Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Buddhist Economics – An Overview.’ Society and Economy, 2018, vol.40, no. 4, pp. 497-513 Over the centuries, Buddhist monks applied economic models in the operations of their monasteries to make them sustainable while also observing Buddhist principles. The large variety of economic practices observed demonstrate the creativity of monastics in acquiring the resources to support their large monasteries in a way that was viewed as compatible with Buddhist ethics embodied in the Noble… Read More »Buddhist Economics – An Overview

For Genuine Business Ethics

Laszlo Zsolnai (Ed.): For Genuine Business Ethics. Business Ethics Center, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, 2018. This book summarizes the 25 years work of the Business Ethics Center of the Corvinus University of Budapest. Main findings include the following: Economic behavior is multifaceted and context-dependent. Two major factors determine the ethicality of economic behavior: the moral character of the actor and the relative cost of ethical behavior. The fairness of procedures is a major determinant of… Read More »For Genuine Business Ethics

Economic Objects and the Objects of Economics

Peter Rona & Laszlo Zsolnai (Eds.): Economic Objects and the Objects of Economics. Springer, 2018. (This book may be available at https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319945286) This book examines the nature of economic objects that form the subject matter of economics, and studies how they resemble or differ from the objects studied by the natural sciences. It explores the question of whether economic objects created by modern economics sufficiently represent economic reality, and confronts the question whether tools, techniques… Read More »Economic Objects and the Objects of Economics

Ethics, Meaning, and Market Society

Laszlo Zsolnai: Ethics, Meaning, and Market Society. Routledge, New York, 2018. (This book may be available at Routledge) This book explores the underlying causes of the pervasive dominance of ‘unethics’ in contemporary affairs in economics, business, and society. It is argued that the state of unethics is related to the overexpansion of market and market values in all spheres of social life and human activities. A correlate of this development is the emergence of an… Read More »Ethics, Meaning, and Market Society

Economic Actors and the Ultimate Goal of the Economy

Laszlo Zsolnai ‘Economic Actors and the Ultimate Goal of the Economy.’ , in Economic Objects and the Objects of Economics, eds. Peter Rona, and Laszlo Zsolnai, Springer, 2018. (This book may be available at: https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319945286) Mainstream economics employs a rather simplified picture of economic systems. Economic actors are grouped into three categories, namely individuals/households, firms, and the state. Among these actors only monetized transactions are considered. The ultimate goal of the economy is defined as maximization of individual income… Read More »Economic Actors and the Ultimate Goal of the Economy