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Ethics in Economics

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In Ethics in Economics , Jonathan B. Wight provides an overview of the role that ethical considerations play in economic debates. Whereas much of the field tends to focus on welfare outcomes, Wight...
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  • 22 April 2015
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In Ethics in Economics , Jonathan B. Wight provides an overview of the role that ethical considerations play in economic debates. Whereas much of the field tends to focus on welfare outcomes, Wight calls for a deeper examination of the origin and evolution of our moral norms. He argues that economic life relies on three interrelated ethical systems: outcome-based, duty- and rule-based, and virtue-based. Integrating contemporary theoretical and applied 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. The book then uses these conceptual underpinnings to examine a range of contemporary 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 one prevails. He makes the case that considering a wider moral framework, rather than concentrating on utility maximization, can lead to a richer understanding of human behavior and better policy decisions. An incisive overview in a blossoming area of interest within Economics, this book is ideal for undergraduates or uninitiated readers who seek an introduction to this topic.

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Price: $38.00
Pages: 296
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Imprint: Stanford Economics and Finance
Publication Date: 22 April 2015
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9780804794534
Format: Paperback
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"In this outstanding book, Wight argues that economics is a normative science and that economic ethics necessarily requires all three moral theories (pluralism). The most obvious strength of the book is that the author clearly explains the various schools of thought in both economics and ethics. He also rigorously identifies the various issues that arise within normative economics . . . Highly recommended."—R.F. White, CHOICE
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.
1. Why Ethics Matters
2. Outcomes
3. Duties, Rules, and Virtues
4. Welfare and Efficiency
5. Pareto Efficiency and Cost-Benefit Analysis
6. Critiques of Welfare as Preference Satisfaction
7. Moral Limits to Markets
8. The Science Behind Adam Smith's Ethics
9. Ethics and the Financial Crisis of 2008
10. Economic Justice: Process versus Outcomes
11. Economic Justice: Equal Opportunity
12. Ethical Pluralism in Economics