I provide a formal explanation of the relationship between the virtues of prudence, justice, and benevolence described by Adam Smith in the Theory of moral sentiments and connect these with the themes Smith subsequently discusses in the Wealth of nations. I contend that the other-regarding...

People use moral wiggle room to behave selfish. But does a narrow wiggle room necessarily produce better social outcomes? When people disagree on normative goals, economic theories of self-image predict that narrowing the moral wiggle room will make choices not only less selfish but also even...

This paper examines the question of why consumers engage in ethical consumption. The authors draw on self-affirmation theory to propose that the choice of an ethical product serves a self-restorative function. Four experiments provide support for this assertion: a self-threat increases...