Customer Reviews

Business Ethics: A Jewish Perspective (Library of Jewish Law and Ethics)

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This book provides an excellent introduction to basic principles of Jewish ethics which still have relevance to modern business activity. It contrasts the Jewish approach to business ethics with various secular theories. There is a very cogent defense of corporate social responsibility based on Jewish legal principles. The book, which is very clear and well-written, demonstrates the continuing importance and creativity of Jewish law for both Jewish and non-Jewish managers.

In this little book, the author tries to answer the following questions:

1. What's unique about Jewish business ethics, as opposed to secular or utilitarian ethics? Pava addresses three unique principles in Jewish law: (1) the notion of differing levels of responsibility to the needy (that is, that one's obligations to family, employees, etc. take priority over faraway obligations); (2) the principle against "acting in the ways of Sodom"- that one has a duty not to take a maximum profit if another gains and the profit-taker does not lose; and (3) the idea of "acting beyond the letter of the law" (i.e. moral obligations beyond legal requirements).

2. How is Jewish business ethics relevant to a world which is not Jewish? Pava admits that specific Jewish legal rules are not binding upon non-Jews; however, the broader, aspirational values underlying these rules are useful to all businesses because they are "noncoercive, universal and speak directly to current problems."

But it seems to me that there is a trade-off involved: the more distinctive Jewish ethics are, the less universal (and thus the less useful to the broader business world) they might be.

This book was fascinating and dealt with several ethical issues in depth. This was not a halakah book of short answers, but rather more of a discussion.