Paul Forrester

Paul Forrester
  • Assistant Professor of Legal Studies & Business Ethics

Contact Information

  • office Address:

    665 Jon M. Huntsman Hall
    3730 Walnut Street
    Philadelphia, PA 19104

Research Interests: political philosophy, business ethics

Overview

Dr. Paul Forrester is an assistant professor of legal studies and business ethics at Wharton Business School. His research covers a variety of topics related to economic justice. One major strand of his research examines the justification for property rights, especially in contexts related to real estate, intellectual property, the environment and emerging technologies. He also has research projects examining the nature of well-being and rationality. Dr. Forrester’s research is inter-disciplinary, using tools from normative ethics and political philosophy, while incorporating insights from other fields such as economics and political science. He has presented his work at leading philosophical and interdisciplinary venues in the United States and internationally. In 2025, he was awarded a PhD in Philosophy from Yale University for his dissertation titled “A Theory of Economic Justice.” He graduated with a BA in philosophy and political science from Duke University in 2019.

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Teaching

All Courses

  • LGST1000 - Ethics & Social Resp

    This course explores business responsibility from rival theoretical and managerial perspectives. Its focus includes theories of ethics and their application to case studies in business. Topics include moral issues in advertising and sales; hiring and promotion; financial management; corporate pollution; product safety; and decision-making across borders and cultures.

Knowledge at Wharton

Greenhushing: When Firms Do More Than They Say

Some companies downplay their environmental efforts, a practice known as greenhushing. A new working paper co-authored by Wharton’s Serguei Netessine finds that this gap between what firms say and what they do is associated with higher subsequent abnormal stock returns.…Read More

Knowledge @ Wharton - 9/8/2026
AI Is Producing More Software. Why Isn’t It Being Used?

A Wharton study finds that while AI dramatically speeds up software development, human bottlenecks prevent many of those gains from reaching customers.…Read More

Knowledge @ Wharton - 9/8/2026
The Hidden Financial Risks of the AI Boom

Joao Gomes, Wharton professor of finance and senior vice dean of research, centers, and academic initiatives, explains why the Federal Reserve needs to pay closer attention to how the massive AI boom is being financed.…Read More

Knowledge @ Wharton - 9/4/2026