ABSTRACT
This chapter lays the foundation for the book. First, the chapter briefly introduces socially sustainable business systems (SSBS) as a new way of establishing a system of business practices, business policies, and business regulation in such a way as to assure the sustainability of the planet and all of its inhabitants. The chapter then examines the intellectual foundation of capitalism and the current form of destructive advanced capitalism (DAC), including Adam Smith and the Chicago School of economic thought. The chapter then analyzes, at macro level, the current model of DAC and its problematic impacts on the planet and the people (poverty and inequality, consumers, communities, creativity, and democracy). The chapter then discusses the structure of the remaining chapters of the book.
