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
Results 1-5 of 85
Page vi
... Values 147 Chapter Twelve Too Agnostic, Too Certain: Welfare Economics, Chicago Economics Chapter Thirteen 163 Moralists of Twentieth-Century Capitalism 177 Chapter Fourteen Unconventional Alternatives to the Conventional Wisdom 191 ...
... Values 147 Chapter Twelve Too Agnostic, Too Certain: Welfare Economics, Chicago Economics Chapter Thirteen 163 Moralists of Twentieth-Century Capitalism 177 Chapter Fourteen Unconventional Alternatives to the Conventional Wisdom 191 ...
Page 2
... values, while implying other values to be inconsistent with what is economically possible, such a theory becomes relevant to economic morality. This is a story, predominantly, of American moralists; when others are represented, it is ...
... values, while implying other values to be inconsistent with what is economically possible, such a theory becomes relevant to economic morality. This is a story, predominantly, of American moralists; when others are represented, it is ...
Page 3
... values of autonomy ethics. Relational moralists, including some economists, resisted from the start the notion of ... value on private production, no matter the cost to society. Moralities, then, partner with compatible economic ...
... values of autonomy ethics. Relational moralists, including some economists, resisted from the start the notion of ... value on private production, no matter the cost to society. Moralities, then, partner with compatible economic ...
Page 4
... values that fail to respect harsh economic realities may be dismissed as unscientific sentimentality. Conversely, a morality that affirms obligation and rights in a wider community tends to understand economic life in terms of human ...
... values that fail to respect harsh economic realities may be dismissed as unscientific sentimentality. Conversely, a morality that affirms obligation and rights in a wider community tends to understand economic life in terms of human ...
Page 5
... value in a world of scarcity, as did competitive and entrepreneurial behaviors. Such autonomy morality had a strong utilitarian bent, for virtue is what leads to ... values: respect for the “image of God” in others, love of INTRODUCTION 5.
... value in a world of scarcity, as did competitive and entrepreneurial behaviors. Such autonomy morality had a strong utilitarian bent, for virtue is what leads to ... values: respect for the “image of God” in others, love of INTRODUCTION 5.
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