Abstract
Today it is commonly believed that capitalism is driven by greed. However, greed is condemned by various religious traditions. In this paper we compare how Mahatma Gandhi, a Hindu, and Michael Novak, a Catholic, see the possibilities of engaging in competitive business practice without the motive of greed. This discussion suggests a need to distinguish greed from self-interest. We therefore analyze whether it makes a difference in moral evaluation to claim that the real driving force of capitalism is self-interest but not greed. Our analysis makes use of the rational-care theory of self-interest developed by Stephen Darwall, the discussion of which has been absent in the business ethics literature. Our conclusion is that there is a quantitative but not qualitative difference between the two.
Recommended Citation
Cheung, Daniel and Bauer, Jacob N.
(2021)
"Greed, Self-Interest and Business Ethics – A Comparative Discussion of Gandhi and Novak,"
Journal of Religion and Business Ethics: Vol. 4, Article 2.
Available at:
https://via.library.depaul.edu/jrbe/vol4/iss2/2