ETHICS and ECONOMICS: DEPARTURE in JUSTIFICATION

Year 2009, Volume: 1 Issue: 2, 31 - 39, 01.12.2009

Sansel Ozpınar İsmet Ates

Abstract

Economics, in mainstream textbooks, is defined as an optimization science. That means that it tries
the find the ways in which endless needs and wants are met by limited resources. Where does the
traditional economics reach by starting with “homo economicus” and “ceteris paribus”? Where is
and how much the ethics take place in the adventure of economics. May be it is better to ask this
question that way: Must economics contain ethics? Otherwise is it independent from ethics? It is
clear that there is no place for ethics in Orthodox Economics. If there is one, it must be the ethics
of interest. Ethics is related with “other”. Every threats, manors or activities affecting “other” have
inevitable relations with ethics.
In this study, first the relation between the transformation of the science of economics and phase of
capitalism will be inspected then, the basic postulates of Orthodox economics and its problems
caused by itself will be discussed. Finally, the reasons of high tensioned relation between ethics
and economics will be betrayed.

Keywords

Ethics of economic, Orthodox economics, ethics

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