How is moral philosophy relevant to economics?
The thought that studying ethics is of relevance to economic analysis may seem far-fetched. Why not consult tarot cards instead? Many people-indeed probably some of you reading these very words- regard moral philosophy as abstruse obbledygook that cannot help one do anything better (except perhaps to spread confusion). If one is seeking clarity, why look ina swamp?
Our hope Is that readers of this book will not come away with the Impression that argument in moral philosophy is obscure, incoherent or unworldly. It is, to be sure, intellectually demanding, abstract, and often intricate, and we'll not dispel all puzzlement. Like economics, moral theory is loaded with controversies and unresolved issues. We want most of all to show that moral reasoning helps one to get a surer grip on serious problems about how to make our lives and our society better, But even if moral philosophy clarifies morality, why should it clarify economics? One might object: "Economics is science or engineering.'It shows how to arrive at certain goals, but unlike ethics, it does not prescribe what goals one should have. Economics provides technical knowledge that has no more to do with ethics than does geometry or physics. No matter how sensible and well-conceived ethical theories may be, they have nothing to do with economics and cannot possibly help one understand economies. "
This whole book is a response to this objection, but we only tackle it head on in the appendix. There we criticize explicitly the "engineering" vision that portrays economics as entirely value-neutral. In the text, on the other hand, we try to be constructive and to show how moral question do indeed arise in economics. If, after seeing how moral questions arise and why their answers matter, readers are still interested in the arguments purporting to show that economics ought to be value-free, they can see what we have to say in response to such arguments in the appendix.
Source : Daniel M. Hausman and Michael S. McPherson, Economic analysis and moral philosophy (London : Cambridge, 1996) pp.6-7
The thought that studying ethics is of relevance to economic analysis may seem far-fetched. Why not consult tarot cards instead? Many people-indeed probably some of you reading these very words- regard moral philosophy as abstruse obbledygook that cannot help one do anything better (except perhaps to spread confusion). If one is seeking clarity, why look ina swamp?
Our hope Is that readers of this book will not come away with the Impression that argument in moral philosophy is obscure, incoherent or unworldly. It is, to be sure, intellectually demanding, abstract, and often intricate, and we'll not dispel all puzzlement. Like economics, moral theory is loaded with controversies and unresolved issues. We want most of all to show that moral reasoning helps one to get a surer grip on serious problems about how to make our lives and our society better, But even if moral philosophy clarifies morality, why should it clarify economics? One might object: "Economics is science or engineering.'It shows how to arrive at certain goals, but unlike ethics, it does not prescribe what goals one should have. Economics provides technical knowledge that has no more to do with ethics than does geometry or physics. No matter how sensible and well-conceived ethical theories may be, they have nothing to do with economics and cannot possibly help one understand economies. "
This whole book is a response to this objection, but we only tackle it head on in the appendix. There we criticize explicitly the "engineering" vision that portrays economics as entirely value-neutral. In the text, on the other hand, we try to be constructive and to show how moral question do indeed arise in economics. If, after seeing how moral questions arise and why their answers matter, readers are still interested in the arguments purporting to show that economics ought to be value-free, they can see what we have to say in response to such arguments in the appendix.
Source : Daniel M. Hausman and Michael S. McPherson, Economic analysis and moral philosophy (London : Cambridge, 1996) pp.6-7
'형설지공 > 경제경영' 카테고리의 다른 글
| [경제윤리]경제학과 도덕철학의 관계가 중요한 네 가지 이유 (0) | 2001.02.01 |
|---|---|
| [경제윤리]왜 경제적 분석에 도덕 원리가 필요한가? (0) | 2001.02.01 |
| 경제 신문 기사 읽는 법 (0) | 2001.01.30 |
| 시장국가 민주주의 (0) | 2001.01.30 |
| 수요와 공급의 탄력성 (0) | 2001.01.30 |