Permission to Steal: Revealing the Roots of Corporate Scandal––An Address to My Fellow Citizens

American culture applauds those who will do anything to make it to the top. The past few decades have seen success redefined in terms of more wealth and power than ever before. The deification of top earners, and an acceptance of life without limits, has helped pave the way for the eventual corruption of the corporate system. Corrupted by greed and driven by self–interest, those who had reached the pinnacle levels of success felt justified to venture beyond integrity, forgoing compassion and scruples, in search of profit. They were above the law that is, until they were caught.

Permission to Steal begins much–needed reflection upon the disgraces that have taken place right under our noses. This succinct book explores what went wrong in recent corporate disgraces,among them the Enron, Arthur Andersen, and WorldCom scandals, and advocates a universal reassessment of what is considered good in corporate America so that we won t again fall victim to corporate thieves.

Preface.

Introduction: The Stories.

Choosing a Path in the Woods.

1. The World, the Flesh, and the Devil.

A Look in the Mirror is Not Reassuring.

An Ancient Fable Says It All.

Lead Us Not Into Temptation.

The Village.

How Bad Can It Get? The Unspeakable Crimes of the Very Good.

The Human Alone.

2. The Lethal Marriage of Ideology and Opportunity.

The Pendulum Swings Right.

Free Market Liberalism and Village Conservatism.

The Origins of the Moral Human.

Necessary Virtues.

The Collapse of Every Restriction.

The Transformation of the Landscape.

The Pension Betrayal.

The Hood Robin Syndrome.

Permission to Steal.

3. Humility and Hope.

Turning the Elephant.

Picking Up the Pieces.

Learning to Tell the Truth.

Regaining the Duty of Stewardship.

Re–visioning the Republic.

Ending the Crime Wave.

Finding Peace.

A Concluding Note.

Bibliography.

Index

Lisa H. Newton is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Program in Applied Ethics at Fairfield University. She is the author of numerous articles and books in business ethics, and most recently published Business Ethics and the Natural Environment (Blackwell, 2004).

This is an excellent book that reveals the roots of corporate scandal from a philosopher s viewpoint.  Since it is intended as an introduction to the topic for the general public, it is written to be easily portable and accessible to general readers.   (Journal of Business Ethics, 12 November 2012)

"Permission to Steal is a delectable little book, well thought out, fast–paced, and easy to read. In just one hundred pages, Newton traverses the diverse landscape of juicy journalism, deep philosophical analysis, and practical moral education of the public. I have no hesitation in recommending this as a good and worthwhile read..." Ethical Perspectives

"Permission to Steal is hard–hitting, insightful, passionate, and refreshingly readable. It is a must–read for all citizens who care about ethics in business and a more healthy society."
––W. Michael Hoffman, Bentley College

"This book blends the insight of a first–rate philosopher with the moral outrage that every citizen should feel about the wave of recent corporate scandals. Newton minces no words in addressing the fundamental questions that every person should ask: What went wrong? Why was it wrong? How did it happen?"
––Joe DesJardins, Executive Director, Society for Business Ethics

"Permission to Steal reads like a whodunit: once you start reading it, you will find it difficult to put down. A crisp outlining of corporate scandals moves seamlessly to an analysis of their causes. Newton concludes with seven tasks to bring our society to a point where we can trust our nation s wealthiest not to rob us. Bravo to the author: all will learn from her in this delightful read."
––Ronald Duska, American College Center for Ethics in Financial Services