ABSTRACT
To understand the implications of philanthropy, it is necessary to articulate an expanded meaning of profit. Arguably, the notion of profit is the essence of business. It is also profit that is often diverted to philanthropic activities. But the very idea of profit has been much discussed. Is there an ethical concern about profiting? Should profit be moderated? In this chapter, I argue that JRD had an expanded notion of quantitative and qualitative aspects of profit. The ethical question with respect to profit arises in many ways: how much profit should one aim for? Who owns the profit made in business? Can the business do what it wants with the profit it earns? JRD’s views on profit, as understood in his business activities, exhibit an intrinsic ethical approach to the question of profit.
