Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

Fr. Gerald F. Cavanagh, S.J. has been widely recognized as one of the founders of the field of business ethics, as well as a leader in bringing Catholic Social Teaching to bear on this academic discipline. One of his principal insights has been that business, as the most powerful agency in society, can and should be a force for positive societal change, rather than deferring that responsibility to government. This volume collects his most significant contributions to the discipline, from the mid-1960s to the early 2020s, into a single, convenient reference work. To show the development of his thought on various issues pertaining to the broad subject of business ethics, the chapters are organized into five major themes: diversity, equity, and inclusion; the dignity of work, personal values and spirituality in the workplace; ethical norms and organizational values; corporate social responsibility; and business ethics in the college curriculum.