Description: This volume provides an integrated and wide-ranging set of primary-source readings on the relationship between moral values and economic activity, as articulated by some of the leading figures in Western civilization.
Review Quotes:
"Inequality or economic progress? Greed or wealth creation? Exploitation or mutually beneficial exchange? Virtue destroying or virtue enhancing? Today's debates always seem to come from diametrically opposite perspectives, but there is a rich tradition of debate about these topics that stretches back for centuries and has often featured more nuanced positions. Clark and Allison have assembled an array of those historical debates as an excellent way for students to enrich their understanding of the moral dimensions of economic growth. Whatever their perspective, readers will find their appreciation for the issues deepened and broadened." --Ross Emmett, Michigan State University
"Economic Morality: Ancient to Modern Readings reveals the rich legacy of thought on the moral framework of economic institutions and practices--property, labor, money, markets, and the production of wealth. With readings spanning over two millennia, this rich and rewarding collection provides a uniquely valuable resource for students, scholars, and thoughtful citizens." --Eugene Heath, Professor of Philosophy, State University of New York, New Paltz "In Economic Morality: Ancient to Modern Readings, Henry C. Clark and Eric Allison introduce readers to the variety of ways in which thinkers have viewed the relationship of morality and economic life throughout history. To do this, they have superbly constructed a wide-ranging array of selections from the major periods in the Western past and from a diverse collection of philosophers, religious thinkers, economists and social commentators. The editors succeed in demonstrating how important it is to view this subject matter from many different lenses. The breadth of their collection illuminates the multiple types of perspectives from which the relationship between economics and morality can be seen. Designed to begin a conversation, this impressive volume will be of interest to anyone involved in the complex economic world that engages us all." --Ed Younkins, Wheeling Jesuit University