Nov. 15 Program: 'Rediscovering the American Soul' With Author, Philosopher Jacob Needleman

Bestselling author and philosopher Jacob Needleman will speak at Samford University in a two-day visit that begins Monday, Nov. 15, with a public program entitled, "Rediscovering the American Soul: A Conversation with Jacob Needleman."  This event will be in Bolding Studio at 6 p.m., preceded by a reception at 5 p.m. There is no charge to attend, but reservations are required and may be made using the link on the Mann Center's website.

In his book The American Soul, Needleman delves into the beliefs and values that have shaped our culture, moving beyond politics to find the metaphysical and psychological ideas that define America and can help unify us. "America, for all its flaws, is still a place where we can work together and search for truth," he has said. "We need to value this country for that much more than we do. America is the place where we can find our proper duty to ourselves, to God, and to the earth."

A professor at San Francisco State University, he also will speak at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 16, in Samford's Reid Chapel.  "Philosophy as a Spiritual Search" will be his topic for this presentation in the series of A. Gerow Hodges Lectures in Ethics and Leadership. (Convo credit will be awarded Samford students.)  His other books include What is God?; Why Can’t We Be Good?; Time and the Soul; Money and the Meaning of Life; The Wisdom of Love; The Heart of Philosophy; Lost Christianity; The Way of the Physician; A Sense of the Cosmos; and The New Religions, among others.

Newest 'Conversations on Ethics and Leadership' Feature CEO of Southern Co., Past President of NYSE

The Mann Center's continuing video series, "Conversations on Ethics and Leadership," features two new conversations with business leaders.  David Ratcliffe, chairman and CEO of Southern Company, discusses the lessons he has learned as leader of a company facing allegations of racial discrimination and criticisms of its environmental record.  Southern Company is America's largest electric utility.  Bill Johnston, past president of the New York Stock Exchange, comments on the causes of the Wall Street meltdown and prospects for reform of the financial services sector.



Conversations on Ethics & Leadership: David Ratcliffe.



Conversations on Ethics & Leadership: Bill Johnston.

News and Views

The International Statistical Institute (ISI) announced a new ISI Declaration on Professional Ethics for statisticians.  The declaration expands a 1985 code that covered objectivity, conflicts of interest and privileged information, adding a section on "shared professional values" of respect, professionalism, truthfulness and integrity.  It is intended to help statisticians make "ethically valid judgments and decisions" and is available in multiple languages. Related resource: ISI Declaration on Professional Ethics (PDF).

Fewer than three in five employees who witness unethical conduct at work report it to management or another appropriate person, according to Ethics Resource Center (ERC).  Researchers have identified several consistent trends: women tend to report more than men; members of unions are less likely to report than nonunion workers; and managers report more concerns than do nonmanagement employees.  ERC conducts annual surveys of U.S. employees across multiple industries.  Related resource: ERC Brief on Employee Reporting (PDF).

The public sees business as more socially responsible than a year ago.  So says a study by Boston College's Center for Corporate Responsibility and the Reputation Institute, which surveyed 7,790 consumers on their perceptions of  U.S. companies' performance related to citizenship (the community and the environment), governance (ethics and transparency) and workplace practices. "The top 25 companies all rated at or above 75 in this year’s study compared to 2009 when only the top nine companies scored that high," according to the researchers who gathered ratings of 230 large companies.  Related resource: Corporate Social Responsibility Index, full report (PDF).

Corruption remains an obstacle to achieving economic and social progress worldwide, according to Transparency International’s 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), an annual measure of domestic, public sector corruption.  This year's report shows that nearly three quarters of the 178 countries in the index score below five, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 10 (perceived to have low levels of corruption), indicating a serious corruption problem.  Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore tie for first place with scores of 9.3, while Afghanistan, Myanmar and Somalia round out the bottom of the list.  Related resource: Corruption Perceptions Index 2010.