Ethics and moral standards are as crucial to finance as ever

Despite the twists and turns of history, some things remain the same – an important lesson that can be found in the work of Émile Zola. His novel L’Argent shows how an erosion of moral standards can be lethal to individuals, the institutions they run, and the whole of society, writes Vincent Kaminski

Vincent Kaminski
Vincent Kaminski

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.1 The more things change, the more they stay the same. This was the conclusion I reached on rereading the book L'Argent by Émile Zola. When I read the book for the first time 35 years ago, I was interested mostly in the plot, based on a financial scandal that happened in France in 1882: the collapse of l'Union Générale, the bank established in 1875 and managed by Paul Eugène Bontoux, a man of questionable moral standards.

The fictional character of L

Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.

To access these options, along with all other subscription benefits, please contact info@risk.net or view our subscription options here: http://subscriptions.risk.net/subscribe

You are currently unable to copy this content. Please contact info@risk.net to find out more.

Sorry, our subscription options are not loading right now

Please try again later. Get in touch with our customer services team if this issue persists.

New to Risk.net? View our subscription options

Register

Want to know what’s included in our free membership? Click here

This address will be used to create your account

Most read articles loading...

You need to sign in to use this feature. If you don’t have a Risk.net account, please register for a trial.

Sign in
You are currently on corporate access.

To use this feature you will need an individual account. If you have one already please sign in.

Sign in.

Alternatively you can request an individual account here