Heterodox Economics, Social Ethics, and Inequalities

Research in the cognitive sciences indicates that metaphors significantly shape perceptions and approaches to problem solving. With this in mind, this essay argues that it is problematic for ethicists that mainstream economics and other social scientific literature relies on naturalistic metaphors t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religious ethics
Main Author: McRorie, Christina (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Wiley-Blackwell [2019]
In: Journal of religious ethics
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Heterodox economics / Economy / Inequality / Social ethics
RelBib Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
NCB Personal ethics
NCC Social ethics
NCE Business ethics
Further subjects:B Economics
B feminist economics
B Political Economy
B Markets
B Thomas Piketty
B Behavioral economics
B Metaphor
B heterodox economics
B Inequality
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:Research in the cognitive sciences indicates that metaphors significantly shape perceptions and approaches to problem solving. With this in mind, this essay argues that it is problematic for ethicists that mainstream economics and other social scientific literature relies on naturalistic metaphors to describe markets. These imply an inaccurate picture of economic phenomena and rhetorically frame many solutions to problems such as inequality as interventionist. This essay proposes that religious ethicists may find resources for avoiding this conceptual hazard in emerging fields of heterodox economics that are attentive to the role of culture and human agency in shaping markets. It introduces feminist, behavioral, institutional, and Austrian economics in particular and highlights some of the specific approaches to inequality adopted in these fields. It then suggests that engaging heterodox perspectives more generally may help ethicists keep in view the full complexity and social nature of the economic problems they analyze.
ISSN:1467-9795
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religious ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/jore.12263