Business education and erosion of character

Abstract

This article discusses the evidence for the claim that exposure to the economic model of man tends to make students more selfish. It also discusses the more general problems created by the employment of the models of human beings used in the social sciences, which often are extremely simple, in business education. After considering some proposed solutions to these problems, the article advocates exposing students to more inclusive conceptions of human nature and, as each model is taught, helping students to reflect on the aspects of our knowledge which it leaves out of account.