Radical, Relevant, Reflective and Brilliant: Towards the Future of Business Ethics

In this essay, I reflect on the world in which the Journal of Business Ethics has flourished at the occasion of its 40th anniversary. I take inspiration from five essays in this special anniversary issue, covering broad themes of the centrality of business ethics to global and local challenges, a fresh look at the age-old conundrum of whether business is antithetical to ethics, the highly prescient issue of new technologies, a vigorous set of arguments for new empirical approaches in business ethics and some convincing reflections on the important role of the academic subject of business ethics in wider perspective. I couple the ideas from the essays with my own perceptions and learning, having had the good fortune to be part of the field since the 1990s. From the starting point of the past 40 years, I look to the future and identify the need for business ethics to be radical, relevant, reflective and brilliant. I believe that we are up to the task, if we continue to be open to new approaches and perspectives, enthusiastically and meaningfully embracing the diversity of our field to elevate the contribution we offer.