Ethics in Economics

Reviews / Votes

"In this outstanding book, Wight argues that economics is a normative science and that economic ethics necessarily requires all three moral theories (pluralism). The most obvious strength of the book is that the author clearly explains the various schools of thought in both economics and ethics. He also rigorously identifies the various issues that arise within normative economics . . . Highly recommended."-R.F. White, CHOICE "Jonathan Wight has produced a sweetly written introduction to ethics for economists-something the economists don't think they need, but do. The crust of 'normative vs. positive' needs Wight's breaking. This book is highly dialogic, bringing students (and faculty) into core debates and resolving them. It is a triumph."-Deirdre N. McCloskey, Distinguished Professor of Economics and History, University of Illinois at Chicago "Two centuries after Adam Smith, ethics has been recognized as vital to economics. In this impressive book, Wight draws on sources that range from classical theorists to the very latest neuroscience in order to deftly integrate common moral concerns into an enhanced economics for the twenty-first century. This fast-paced read is a must for economists, policy analysts, and their students."-Paul J. Zak, Claremont Graduate University and author of The Moral Molecule "Jonathan Wight's Ethics in Economics is a superb resource for economists and students of economics. It provides a great introduction to the multiple frameworks that influence the ethical thinking of policy-makers, economists, and the human agents who, in their day-to-day interactions, make economies function and malfunction."- Daniel M. Hausman, University of Wisconsin-Madison "[T]he book is more than the introductory text that it purports to be. The book has deepened my own reckoning with normative and economic theory, human behavior, and policy adjudication. For the sake of the many students who have passed through my courses over the years, I only wish the book had appeared a decade or two earlier."-George F. DeMartino, Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics "Wight has written a very readable and, not least due to the use of illustrative examples and fictional dialogues, highly accessible introduction to ethics in economics for economists and students of economics."-Andrea Klonschinski, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice