ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a lucid and comprehensive account of business ethics and places the relevant concepts, arguments, and themes within a larger context of economics, politics, and law. It offers a full bibliography, as well as a selection of "Essential readings"—works that provide the reader with a basis for further exploration of the topic at hand. The book addresses how ethical theories have been applied to the field of business; the third delves into normative theories specific to business. It focuses on the institutions and operations of markets: property as the basis of exchange; money and finance; and rent seeking in competitive markets; business and the environment; innovation and productivity; and the nature of economic crises, using the financial collapse of 2008 as the focus.
