Publications

Beyond Self: Ethical and Spiritual Dimensions of Economics

Laszlo Zsolnai: Beyond Self: Ethical and Spiritual Dimensions of Economics. Peter Lang Academic Publishers, Oxford, Bern, Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt am Main, New York, Wien, 2014. (This book may be available at Peter Lang) This book addresses ethical and spiritual issues in economics. The central idea advanced in the book is that the extreme focus on the self by economic actors leads to the destruction of both material and non-material values. The assumptions of self-interest in… Read More »Beyond Self: Ethical and Spiritual Dimensions of Economics

On Buddhist Economics in Montreal

Canadian business journalist Peter Hadekel published an interview with Laszlo Zsolnai about the relevance of Buddhist economics for Western economies on March 7, 2013 in Montreal Gazette. The main message is that Buddhism can be both helpful and inspiring in taking the consciousness of businesses and customers to another level.

Handbook of Business Ethics – Ethics in the New Economy

Laszlo Zsolnai (Ed.): Handbook of Business Ethics – Ethics in the New Economy. Peter Lang International Academic Publishers, Oxford, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt am Main, New York, Wien, 2013. (This book may be available at: Peter Lang International Academic Publishers) The Handbook of Business Ethics is a substantially revised new edition of Ethics in the Economy, written by the members of the Business Ethics Faculty Group of CEMS – Global Alliance in Management Education. With new content and revised… Read More »Handbook of Business Ethics – Ethics in the New Economy

Buddhist Values in Business and its Potential for Europe

The Buddhist Economics Research Platform, the Loden Foundation, Bhutan and the Hungarian Bhutan Friendship Society in partnership with the European SPES Forum and the European Buddhist Union organized an international workshop ‘Buddhist Values in Business and its Potential for Europe’ on 24-25 November 2012, in Brussels (Belgium). Partly inspired by Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness, the workshop was designed for people from the business or academic sectors interested or involved in Buddhist Business/Economics as well as for entrepreneurs, university students and leaders of Buddhist organizations.… Read More »Buddhist Values in Business and its Potential for Europe

Redefining the Roles and Duties of Management

Laszlo Zsolnai, Sven Junghagen, and Antonio Tencati ‘Redefining the Roles and Duties of Management.’ Journal of Global Responsibility , 2012, vol.3, no. 1, pp. 121-133 The paper analyses the crisis of the business profession and the role that management education can play in renewing business management. It is argued that unless future managers demonstrate that they serve the common good in their daily practice, the legitimacy and moral standing of the business profession remain questionable. The paper presents the… Read More »Redefining the Roles and Duties of Management

Sustainable Growth or Right Livelihood?

The Faraday Institute for Science and Spirituality of the University of Cambridge organized an international conference entitled “Sustainability in Crisis” in September 26-28, 2011 in Cambridge. Laszlo Zsolnai has been invited to present a view of Buddhist economics on sustainability. In his presentation “Sustainable Growth or Right Livelihood” he argued that not sustainable growth but sustainable livelihood should be the main goal for economic policies. Sustainable livelihood implies the de-growth of the material side of the… Read More »Sustainable Growth or Right Livelihood?

The Palgrave Handbook of Spirituality and Business

Luk Bouckaert & Laszlo Zsolnai (Eds.): The Palgrave Handbook of Spirituality and Business. Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. (This book may be available at Amazon) The handbook summarizes the most important issues, approaches and models in the field of spirituality in business, economics and society. It presents a comprehensive pluralistic view covering all the major religious and spiritual traditions. It is a response to three developments that challenge the business-as-usual mindset. Firstly, in response to a growing… Read More »The Palgrave Handbook of Spirituality and Business

Ethical Principles and Economic Transformation – A Buddhist Approach

Laszlo Zsolnai (Ed.): Ethical Principles and Economic Transformation – A Buddhist Approach. Springer, 2011. (This book may be available at Springer) The book presents new contributions of Buddhist economics to pressing socio-economic problems. Buddhism points out that emphasizing individuality and promoting the greatest fulfillment of the desires of the individual conjointly lead to destruction. The book promotes the basic value-choices of Buddhism, namely happiness, peace and permanence. Happiness research convincingly shows that not material wealth… Read More »Ethical Principles and Economic Transformation – A Buddhist Approach

Spiritual Humanism and Economic Wisdom

Hendrik Opdebeeck & Laszlo Zsolnai (Eds.): Spiritual Humanism and Economic Wisdom. Garant, Antwerpen and Apeldoom, 2011. (This book may be available at Garant) The book contains essays in honor of the 70th anniversary of K.U.Leuven professor Luk Bouckaert, co-founder of the European SPES forum, which aims to make spirituality accessible as a public good to as many people as possible. In the spirit of the European SPES forum, this volume covers issues of contemporary economics… Read More »Spiritual Humanism and Economic Wisdom

Spirituality and Ethics in Management (Second Edition)

Laszlo Zsolnai (Ed.): Spirituality and Ethics in Management. Springer, 2011. (This book may be available at Springer) The book is a collection of scholarly papers focusing on the role of spirituality and ethics in renewing the contemporary management praxis. The basic argument is that a more inclusive, holistic and peaceful approach to management is needed if business and political leaders are to uplift the environmentally degrading and socially disintegrating world of our age. The book… Read More »Spirituality and Ethics in Management (Second Edition)