Ethics in Economics: An Introduction to Moral Frameworks

Jonathan B Wight

abr 2015 · Stanford University Press

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“This outstanding book” looks at the role of ethics within economic debates, going beyond welfare outcomes to examine our moral norms (Choice).

In Ethics and Economics, Jonathan B. Wight argues that economic life relies on three interrelated ethical systems: outcome-based, duty- and rule-based, and virtue-based. Integrating contemporary research on ethics within a historical framework, Wight provides a thorough and accessible outline of all three schools, explaining how they fit or contrast with the economic welfare model.

Wight uses these conceptual underpinnings to examine a range of topics, such as the 2008 financial crisis, the moral limits to markets, the findings of experimental economics, and the nature of economic justice. Wight’s analysis is guided by the innovative concept of ethical pluralism—the recognition that each system has appropriate applications, and that no single framework prevails. He makes the case that moving beyond utility maximization can lead to a richer understanding of human behavior and better policy decisions.

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Jonathan B. Wight is Professor of Economics at the University of Richmond. He is the author of Saving Adam Smith: A Tale of Wealth, Transformation, and Virtue.