Eine ethisch sensibilisierte Sichtweise auf die Finanzmaerkte und den von dort ausgehenden externen Effekten gibt Anlass zur tiefgruendigen Hinterfragung finanzwirtschaftlicher Wert- und Normengefuege. Die kritische Finanzethik praesentiert sich als Unterstuetzerin in diesem Prozess, indem sie...

This article pursues the question whether and inasmuch theories of corporate responsibility are dependent upon conceptions of managerial freedom. I argue that neglect of the idea of freedom in economic theory has led to an inadequate conceptualization of the ethical responsibilities of...

Adam Smith’s version of Virtue Ethics can be traced directly back to Plato (Socrates) and Aristotle. Smith basically skipped Aquinas and Augustine because they were also Catholic theologians, as well as philosophers. Referencing them would not have been looked upon kindly by the Scottish...

Jeremy Bentham’s Utilitarian tracts The Principles of Morals and Legislation and In Defense of Usury contains an explicit attack on Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations on pages 8-23 in chapter Two of The Principles of Morals and Legislation, as well as on...

J. M. Keynes based the ethical foundations of the General Theory on a type of Virtue Ethics that he had learned from G. E. Moore. Keynes himself reinforced his understanding of Moore's version of Virtue ethics with extensive readings of the works of Plato and Aristotle. Keynes was one of the...

An analysis of Confucius and Smith demonstrates that both are presenting arguments that are extremely close in their conclusions.The Analects present a powerful case against utilitarian ethics in a manner which is very similar to Smith's argument against utilitarianism.Smith and Confucius...

Economics was traditionally viewed as part of a wider study of human things, including ethics. It has drifted away from ethics despite the fact that ethical considerations inevitably form part of economics. After a brief introduction, the second section outlines the state of play in the...

This essay makes reference to the Scholastic doctrine of moral probabilism and explores the possible links between this theological perspective and the modern concept of probability. It shows that these concepts are more related than is suggested by common etymological approaches. Moral...

The major impediment standing in the way for economists seeking to understand Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments (TTMS) and The Wealth of Nations (WN) is demonstrated to be their confusion over the terms, prudence, used by Smith in the standard Aristotelian sense in TTMS to mean putting...