An Ethical Will (2000)
An ethical will attempts a succinct statement of “the values one most wants to live on.” This is an ethical will for philanthropic studies at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Written in 2000, this essay underlines the importance of liberal arts in philanthropic studies.
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Ethics and Morals (2000)
Payton makes the careful distinction between morality, a certain kind of behavior; and ethics, a way of thinking about that behavior. Payton recounts growing up in the Mid-West and his encounters with racism. Thinking about this behavior led him to an understanding of civil rights, before any such movement was established. The progression from morality to ethics is also evident in philanthropy; “we give first because we’re taught to do so.” Payton views philanthropy as "the principle means by which our ethics and values shape the society in which we live," and therefore worthy of considerable thought.
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God and Money (1989)
A discussion of the importance of the relationship between religion and philanthropy. This essay presents an understanding of the influence the Protestant tradition has had on and continues to have on American philanthropy.
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On Philanthropic Values (Letter to Carol) (2000)
This letter appears in its original letter form. It is a brief discussion of the core concepts and terms of philanthropy: social change, welfare and reciprocity.
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Philanthropy and Business (1998)
Few of Payton’s students have gone into business. “They don’t appreciate getting rich because they see that as mindless and soulless self-interest.” However, Payton asserts that young people should be encouraged to consider business careers as morally justified if pursued in certain ways, i.e., as an opportunity to create decent jobs and improve both working conditions and the standard of living.
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Philanthropy as Thanksgiving (1997)
“Philanthropy as Thanksgiving” was a speech given by Robert Payton at Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas, Texas in 1997. Payton insists that philanthropy is a tradition that must be upheld. “Philanthropy as a tradition claims that we have some responsibility for others, even strangers.”
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The Great Relearning (2001)
This email message was the sixth of nine messages sent by Payton to the Jane Addams-Andrew Carnegie Fellowship list serve following the events of September 11th. The great relearning, Payton suggests, is a process facing Americans and more broadly the Western world. Through the great relearning, we might come to a better understanding of our world and our relationship to those in Eastern and Middle Eastern worlds.
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The Philanthropic Tradition in America (1995)
This essay discusses the mythistory of American philanthropy. "A moral narrative that reveals the role of good works in shaping the good life and the good society."
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The Will to Believe (1975)
Payton presented “The Will to Believe” in 1975 for the Hofstra University lecture series Religious Pluralism in an Age of Change. In exploring religion and a belief in the supernatural, Payton asserts that many people exercise “the will or the right to believe.”
“If a world of the holocaust is a world in which the existence of God is unthinkable, then existence in a world without a God—without meaning or purpose—is even more unthinkable.”
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Two Kinds of Association (1993)
Payton defines two types of association—voluntary association of collective action and association of the spirit. The latter is infused with religious tradition, sympathy, kinship, and hope. Payton argues, “The voluntary association of the spirit underlies the voluntary association of action.”
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Voluntarism: Learning how to "pass it on" (1990)
This essay was included in the August 1990 issue of Progressions published by the Lilly Endowment. Payton emphasizes the need for philanthropy and the importance of passing it on. He aruges that we must educate ourselves about the tradition of philanthropy in order to relay its importance to generations to come.
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Dissent (2001)
This email message was the eighth of nine messages sent by Payton to the Jane Addams-Andrew Carnegie Fellowship list serve following the events of September 11th. He discounts the effectiveness of anti-war demonstrations like those in Dunn Meadow on the Indiana University campus. Again Payton stresses the importance of a discourse of ideas: “Respect rational discourse; protect it, use it wisely. It’s the best instrument for peace we have.”
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Getting Back to Normal (2001)
This email message was the fourth of nine messages sent by Payton to the Jane Addams-Andrew Carnegie Fellowship list serve following the events of September 11th. It highlights the question “When is it all right to get back to normal?” Payton holds that our society, with its short attention span, will need something more than Cicero’s notion of decorum in trying to cope with the September 11th events.
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Notes for an Ethical Will (1998)
An ethical will encapsulates, "the values we most want to live on" and transmits one generation's values to future generations. Hopefully, these values will help future generations address the ethical problems they will face as well as assist them in crafting their addition to society's ever evolving moral imagination.
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Peacekeeping and Warmaking: Is There a Difference? (1995)
In this essay, Payton discusses the Clinton administration's decision to send peacekeeping troops to Bosnia. He addresses the issues behind armed humanitarian action, issues of philanthropy and misanthropy and the need for military and police activity to be rooted in ethics even during times of violence and chaos.
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Philanthropy and the Social Crisis ()
Examining the Biblical story of the Good Samaritan, Payton highlights the importance of helping those in need. He maintains that true philanthropy means taking risks, showing compassion, and helping others.
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Terrorism as Mugging (2001)
This email message was the seventh of nine messages sent by Payton to the Jane Addams-Andrew Carnegie Fellowship list serve following the events of September 11th. Payton provides two accounts of terror: a shooting in Broadripple and a mugging in midtown Manhattan. After feelings of fear, the victims were struck by melancholy. Payton maintains, “It is a dangerous world but our task is to make it safer, not enclose ourselves in a protected space.”
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The Long View (2001)
This email message was the third of nine messages sent by Payton to the Jane Addams-Andrew Carnegie Fellowship list serve following the events of September 11th. Payton suggests that in response to the terrorist attacks, Americans and America’s leaders should rely on reason and not simply religious faith. “It will be our reason that provides us the common ground where we can work together despite our religious differences.”
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The Right to Ask for Money (1981)
Payton gave this speech at the Annual Conference of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. It focuses on the professionalization and institutional cohesiveness that are necessary for ethical fund raising. At the time it was delivered, Payton was the President of the Exxon Education Foundation.
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Tolerance: Thoughts on the Group Topic (2000)
This piece was written to JAF IX as an introduction to the semester's topic and readings. Payton writes, "..We shouldn't think about philanthropy and ethnic conflict or philanthropy and tolerance without looking at them through the lenses of human nature and ideology."
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Voluntarism and Philanthropy: What Does the Future Hold? (1987)
This speech was presented at the New York Public Library to a group of nonprofit professionals in 1987. Payton discusses virtue, university ethics, and the importance of the study of philanthropy. In closing he claims it is imperative that the tradition of philanthropy be passed on to future generations.
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