On the Possibility of a Reimagined Capitalism: Cynicism, Hope, and ESG Investing

This essay responds to the kind invitation of the editors to reflect on how I justify capitalism both to myself and to my students. The essay responds to the prompt by working through the way my convictions work themselves out in my classes in Princeton University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education. The essay concludes by considering the rise of ESG and other value backed investing as an opportunity to reimagine capitalism.