When people think about capitalism, they don’t think of abstract ideas at the heart of an economic system. They think about the things that system produces: the products, the companies, and perhaps most notably, the people. Just as capitalism has changed with technology and culture over time, so have the people most associated with it, from Benjamin Franklin to the suspendered stockbrokers of the 1980s to the tech titans of today. In this episode of The In-House Ethicist, John Paul Rollert asks the question who will be the next face of capitalism?

Is the customer always right? In a world in which all sales are final, some buyers are bound to get duped. But if the customer’s always right, what can retailers do about unreasonable customers? In this episode of The In-House Ethicist, John Paul Rollert looks for a balance between honoring customers and indulging them.

Why is being frugal a virtue? And where exactly do we draw the line between being “frugal” and being “cheap”? In this episode of The In-House Ethicist, John Paul Rollert traces the history of frugality from the 18th century to today, explaining why it continues to be relevant as a moral yardstick.

Michael Lewis’s Liar’s Poker is a frank and ugly behind-the-scenes account of life as a young associate in the world of Wall St finance. The book is 35 years old, but the basic dilemma at its heart – whether follow your conscience or your bank balance—remains pertinent. In this episode of The In-House Ethicist, John Paul Rollert reflects on what the book tells us about ourselves and our professional choices. How long can you stay in a poisonous environment before you become part of it?

Stakeholder capitalism is the idea that business should be about more than just making money. That seems a world away from the brash financial types of Bret Easton Ellis’s 1991 novel ‘American Psycho,’ or the 1987 movie ‘Wall Street.’ But in this episode of the The In-House Ethicist, Chicago Booth’s John Paul Rollert asks how much we have really moved on, and reflects on the continuing relevance of Easton Ellis’s novel.

Some people say that you don’t help the poor by giving them money, but by giving them opportunities to earn money. This is behind the periodic campaigns to limit welfare benefits in order to encourage work. But is a handout necessarily different from a hand-up? In this episode of The In-House Ethicist, John Paul Rollert reflects on how we think about helping the poor and charitable giving.

What is within the power of free markets? What can capitalism do for society, what can’t it do, and what should it do? On this episode of the The In-House Ethicist, Booth’s John Paul Rollert explores how many people came to have an unshakeable faith in capitalism’s broad ability to solve nearly any problem, while the experience of others has left them skeptical. In the era after “the end of history,” capitalism’s defenders need to reckon earnestly with a series of questions about what the system may leave unresolved, he says.

What should the uber wealthy do with their money? How can they leave a lasting legacy? And what responsibilities do they have to society at large? On this episode of the The In-House Ethicist, Booth’s John Paul Rollert reflects on the role of those at the very top of the 1 percent.