What Is The Theme Of Moral Capitalism As Advocated By The Caux Round Table?
Moral Capitalism and the Unending Quest for Human Perfection Remarks by Stephen B. Young, Global Executive Director IberAmericana University June 15, 2006 What is the program of Moral Capitalism as advocated by the Caux Round Table?
You can think about it from two divergent points of view. First, from the perspective of business, of capitalism as traditionally presented in our political rhetoric, it is a strategic approach to increasing wealth and business success by taking care of the interests of key stakeholders in the business – customers, employees, owners, creditors, suppliers and communities. From this perspective, Moral Capitalism looks to the intangible assets of a business, its goodwill, and asks how can we build more goodwill? …show more content…
This framework for living comes most explicitly from the social teachings of the Catholic Church, most tellingly from the Papal Encyclicals Laborens
3 Exercens and Centissimus Annus. I need not here in IberAmericano University elaborate on the theology supporting a commitment to human dignity, but I would like to point out a few important implications of this teaching.
Human Dignity complements Kyosei and brings new meaning to its perceptions of interdependence. Human Dignity deepens Kyosei by placing emphasis on the value in creation of the human. Those aspects of our work and our actions that impinge on Human Dignity have special importance. Living up to the potential of our own personal dignity and living with respect for the dignity of others gives a calling, a vocation, to the human person. It is our special place in the cosmos; it is our proper home where we can be masters and kind hosts, a state of mind where our powers can be graced by compassion and elegant …show more content…
Then comes the hard work of helping them live up to these standards.
Beyond the need to shape the character, minds and hearts of people, lies the challenge of shaping institutions to act constructively and not destructively. This is a matter of decentralizing power, setting up checks and balances, keeping those in power within the limits of the law, using open architecture for organizations, avoiding monopolies and concentrations of judgmental authority, being deeply suspicious of bureaucratic solutions and structures.
The greatest challenge to me is that of leadership – getting the right people in position to check and reform institutional behaviors. The selfishness of the individual ego becomes more stubborn, more intractable, more determined as individuals come together in power structures. The whole becomes more resistant to the claims of social justice and more inherently recalcitrant than the sum of its constituent members, like some monster given life by Dr. Frankenstein. The wellbeing of the organization becomes the end for its members and principles of Kyosei, Human Dignity, and stewardship are abandoned in deference to that
You can think about it from two divergent points of view. First, from the perspective of business, of capitalism as traditionally presented in our political rhetoric, it is a strategic approach to increasing wealth and business success by taking care of the interests of key stakeholders in the business – customers, employees, owners, creditors, suppliers and communities. From this perspective, Moral Capitalism looks to the intangible assets of a business, its goodwill, and asks how can we build more goodwill? …show more content…
This framework for living comes most explicitly from the social teachings of the Catholic Church, most tellingly from the Papal Encyclicals Laborens
3 Exercens and Centissimus Annus. I need not here in IberAmericano University elaborate on the theology supporting a commitment to human dignity, but I would like to point out a few important implications of this teaching.
Human Dignity complements Kyosei and brings new meaning to its perceptions of interdependence. Human Dignity deepens Kyosei by placing emphasis on the value in creation of the human. Those aspects of our work and our actions that impinge on Human Dignity have special importance. Living up to the potential of our own personal dignity and living with respect for the dignity of others gives a calling, a vocation, to the human person. It is our special place in the cosmos; it is our proper home where we can be masters and kind hosts, a state of mind where our powers can be graced by compassion and elegant …show more content…
Then comes the hard work of helping them live up to these standards.
Beyond the need to shape the character, minds and hearts of people, lies the challenge of shaping institutions to act constructively and not destructively. This is a matter of decentralizing power, setting up checks and balances, keeping those in power within the limits of the law, using open architecture for organizations, avoiding monopolies and concentrations of judgmental authority, being deeply suspicious of bureaucratic solutions and structures.
The greatest challenge to me is that of leadership – getting the right people in position to check and reform institutional behaviors. The selfishness of the individual ego becomes more stubborn, more intractable, more determined as individuals come together in power structures. The whole becomes more resistant to the claims of social justice and more inherently recalcitrant than the sum of its constituent members, like some monster given life by Dr. Frankenstein. The wellbeing of the organization becomes the end for its members and principles of Kyosei, Human Dignity, and stewardship are abandoned in deference to that