On Ethics and Economic Actions

Johanna Romare, PhD candidate

That agents are primarily motivated by self-interest - especially in economic affairs - is a central assumption in economic theory. This assumption is primarily used by economists to explain and predict economic actions and activities, but it seems to have an additional normative task as well: Not only is it assumed that agents act out of self-interest, but it is also assumed that self-interested actions will lead to economic beneficent results. Especially this normative task has been criticised by some philosophers and ethicists. The argument, especially by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, is that the assumption that agents are motivated solely by self-interest is not only a too narrow assumption for making accurate predictions and explanations, but that the use of this assumption in a normative context will in some cases lead to morally problematic prescriptions.

The purpose of the project is to analyse some factors that are relevant for the understanding, explanation, and moral examination of economic actions and activities. The project has three main focuses: (1) concept analysis, (2) explanation, and (3) moral examination of economic action.

The project will result in a dissertation, and is a collaboration with the Centre for Education and Research on Economic Crime at Linköping University.

Publications:

Romare J, 2004. Kan donationer motiveras moraliskt? I: Braunerhjelm, P & Skogh, G (red), Sista fracken inga fickor har. Filantropi och ekonomisk tillväxt, SNS Förlag.

Romare J, 2007. Kan skatteundandragande vara moraliskt rättfärdigat? I: Magnusson, D & Sjögren, H (red), Skatteundandragande, penningtvätt och organiserad brottslighet, Stiftelsen för Ekonomisk-historisk och företagshistorisk forskning.

Page responsible: monica.wise@liu.se
Last updated: Tue Oct 02 17:19:28 CEST 2012