A new book edited by Jon Entine considers the dangers of investing to promote social or political causes.

“Socially responsible” investing (SRI), which incorporates nonfinancial social and ethical criteria, has attracted significant publicity in recent years and sparked interest among some institutional investors, public pension funds, and Social Security reform advocates, particularly in the wake of recent corporate scandals. SRI adherents claim that one of every ten dollars...

Social investing, by both the political left and right, frequently ends up hurting the very people--particularly the economically disadvantaged--that it is supposed to help.

Is it wise for portfolio managers and individual investors to choose socially responsible investing?

Pension-fund trustees have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize investment returns and should not be bound by "socially responsible investing."

Crisis management has become the latest fashion in building a corporate reputation. Companies that come under siege from interest groups, trial lawyers, and the press wage image campaigns to make themselves "better liked"--and often do so by playing down their capitalist purpose. Do these campaigns mislead the public? Do they...

Pension officials cannot follow socially progressive principles to do good and still make a killing in the stock market.

Do as we say, not as we do, would be an appropriate slogan for the unions.