America's Economic Moralists: A History of Rival Ethics and EconomicsSince colonial times, two discernable schools have debated major issues of economic morality in America. The central norm of one morality is the freedom, or autonomy, of the individual and defines virtues, vices, obligations, and rights by how they contribute to that freedom. The other morality is relational and defines economic ethics in terms of behaviors mandated by human connectedness. America's Economic Moralists shows how each morality has been composed of an ethical outlook paired with a compatible economic theory, each supporting the other. Donald E. Frey adopts a multidisciplinary approach, not only drawing upon historical economic thought, American religious thought, and ethics, but also finding threads of economic morality in novels, government policies, and popular writings. He uses the history of these two supported yet very different views to explain the culture of excess that permeates the morality of today's economic landscape. |
From inside the book
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Page 1
... poverty to unjust relations among people rather than innate dependency. The poor, he held, if given the chance, would work even more than their creator intended. These rival economic moralities have not stood alone, but have drawn ...
... poverty to unjust relations among people rather than innate dependency. The poor, he held, if given the chance, would work even more than their creator intended. These rival economic moralities have not stood alone, but have drawn ...
Page 3
... poverty seem inevitable and so minimized any obligation for individuals or society to alleviate or cure it. Thus, in this view, advocates of poor relief not only proposed infringing individual freedoms by imposing (tax) obligations to ...
... poverty seem inevitable and so minimized any obligation for individuals or society to alleviate or cure it. Thus, in this view, advocates of poor relief not only proposed infringing individual freedoms by imposing (tax) obligations to ...
Page 6
... POVERTY Economic inequality and poverty are intertwined issues that well illuminate the nature of a value system. Early autonomy moralists attributed most poverty to the choices of the poor themselves; their allies, early economists ...
... POVERTY Economic inequality and poverty are intertwined issues that well illuminate the nature of a value system. Early autonomy moralists attributed most poverty to the choices of the poor themselves; their allies, early economists ...
Page 10
... poverty was inevitable, instead attributing it to perverse forms of land ownership. Richard Ely, a founder of the American Economic Association, worked to show that laissez-faire doctrines lacked empirical evidence; as a religious ...
... poverty was inevitable, instead attributing it to perverse forms of land ownership. Richard Ely, a founder of the American Economic Association, worked to show that laissez-faire doctrines lacked empirical evidence; as a religious ...
Page 18
... poverty. In sharp contrast to medieval Catholicism, Puritans did not view the existence of poverty as an opportunity for those of means to earn spiritual merit through charity—for salvation was solely by God's free grace. Poverty, in ...
... poverty. In sharp contrast to medieval Catholicism, Puritans did not view the existence of poverty as an opportunity for those of means to earn spiritual merit through charity—for salvation was solely by God's free grace. Poverty, in ...
Contents
1 | |
13 | |
The Later Colonial Era | 25 |
4 LaissezFaire for Americans | 35 |
5 Ethics Better than the Morals of Hermits | 49 |
The Communal Moravians | 61 |
Human Dignity as a Boundary to Markets | 75 |
8 Social Darwinists of Different Species | 87 |
Depressed Old Values | 131 |
Welfare Economics Chicago Economics | 147 |
13 Moralists of TwentiethCentury Capitalism | 163 |
14 Unconventional Alternatives to the Conventional Wisdom | 177 |
15 An Ecumenical Consensuson Economic Ethics | 191 |
16 Summary Assessmentsand a Projection | 205 |
Notes | 217 |
Works Cited | 225 |
9 New Influences in Economics | 101 |
10 The Social Gospel and Catholic Thought Around 1900 | 115 |
Index | 233 |
Other editions - View all
America's Economic Moralists: A History of Rival Ethics and Economics Donald E. Frey No preview available - 2010 |
America's Economic Moralists: A History of Rival Ethics and Economics Donald E. Frey No preview available - 2009 |
America's Economic Moralists: A History of Rival Ethics and Economics Donald E. Frey No preview available - 2009 |
Common terms and phrases
accepted actions activity actually affirmed American argued autonomy morality become behavior believed called capitalism century chapter claim competition continued corporate created defined denied doctrine early economic inequality economic morality economists efficiency equality ethics example exist freedom George given Hayek held human dignity ideas implied important income increased individual industrial inequality interest justice labor laissez-faire laws limits living logic major meaning moralists Moravian motives nature neoclassical never nomic norm noted notion obligation one’s political poor position possible poverty preferences principle production Puritan Quaker question reason reform rejected relational morality relationships religious responsibility result rules scarcity seemed self-interest sense serve shared short slavery slaves Smith social society suggested theory thought tion traditional understanding utilitarian values virtues wages Wayland wealth welfare workers