Are Economists Basically Immoral?

by Heyne, Paul T.

• ISBN13: 9780865977129
• ISBN10: 0865977127
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-11-30
• Publisher: Liberty Fund

Summary

A well-trained theologian, a gifted and dedicated teacher of economics for over forty years, and the author of a highly regarded and widely used textbook, "The Economic Way of Thinking", Paul Heyne influenced generations of students of economics. Many of the essays in this volume are published here for the first time. The editors, Geoffrey Brennan and A M C Waterman, have divided Heyne's essays thematically to cover three general areas: the ethical foundations of free markets, the connection between those ethical foundations and Christian thought, and the teaching of economics -- both method and substance. Heyne's writings are unique in that he takes the critics of the free market order seriously and addresses their arguments directly, showing how they are defective in their understanding of economics and in their ethical and theological underpinnings. The engaging style of Heyne's essays makes them accessible to students as well as to scholars. Even in discussions of topics well beyond the fundamental level, Heyne still succeeds in providing students with an appreciation of basic economic principles.

Table of Contents

Are Economists Basically Immoral?	p. 1
Economics and Ethics: The Problem of Dialogue	p. 10
Income and Ethics in the Market System	p. 29
Can Homo Economicus Be Christian?	p. 49
Economic Scientists and Skeptical Theologians	p. 81
Christian Theological Perspectives on the Economy	p. 97
Controlling Stories: On the Mutual Influence of Religious Narratives and Economic Explanations	p. 118
Justice, Natural Law, and Reformation Theology	p. 133
The Concept of Economic Justice in Religious Discussion	p. 151
The U.S. Catholic Bishops and the Pursuit of Justice	p. 171
Jewish Economic Ethics in a Pluralist Society	p. 192
Christian Social Thought and the Origination of the Economic Order	p. 213
Clerical Laissez-Faire: A Case Study in Theological Ethics	p. 238
"The Nature of Man": What Are We After?	p. 267
Researchers and Degree Purchasers	p. 276
Economics Is a Way of Thinking	p. 293
Teaching Introductory Economics	p. 302
Teaching Economics by Telling Stories	p. 315
Between Sterility and Dogmatism	p. 328
Ethics on The Road to Serfdom and Beyond	p. 339
Measures of Wealth and Assumptions of Right: An Inquiry	p. 348
The Foundations of Law and Economics: Can the Blind Lead the Blind?	p. 366
What Is the Responsibility of Business under Democratic Capitalism?	p. 391
The Morality of Labor Unions	p. 409
An Economic Perspective on Illegal Drugs	p. 436
Economics, Ethics, and Ecology	p. 441
Index	p. 471
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