Hacia una reinterpretación de la responsabilidad social empresarial desde las fuentes del pensamiento judío: el concepto de tikún olam al interior de entornos corporativos

Abstract

This article explores the Jewish concept of tikun olam—literally, “repairing the world”—as a spiritual and normative foundation for rethinking corporate social responsibility (CSR) in contemporary organizational contexts. Drawing on a critical assessment of the ethical tensions inherent in global capitalism—evident in rising inequality, labor exploitation, and environmental degradation—it argues that dominant CSR frameworks are often insufficient, frequently reduced to marketing tools or reputational strategies devoid of deep ethical commitment. Through a hermeneutic and argumentative methodology, the study engages in a close reading of classical Jewish sources (Mishnah, Talmud, Maimonides), complemented by contemporary rabbinic and ethical interpretations, and articulates these with key categories from corporate ethics and business management. The article traces the historical and conceptual evolution of tikun olam, presenting it not as a utopian ideal but as a concrete principle of legal reform, moral responsibility, and social repair. In addition, it analyzes related Jewish principles— tzedakah (just giving), chesed (lovingkindness), bal tashchit (prohibition against needless destruction), derech eretz (civility), and arevut (mutual responsibility)—as the ethical infrastructure of a transformative CSR model. Five practical areas of application are proposed: ethical governance, social inclusion, ecological sustainability, stakeholder responsibility, and organizational spirituality. The article concludes that tikun olam provides not only a coherent ethical framework but also a spiritual horizon capable of reorienting corporate activity toward the common good and long-term human flourishing.