Economic Inequality and Morality

A comparative study of the morality of economic inequalityRising inequality is not just an economic and political issue: it is fundamentally a moral concern. But relatively few books have directly addressed this moral concern, and fewer still have done so through a comparative ethical perspective. The essays in this volume explore and compare how a number of influential ethical traditions-secular and religious, Western and non-Western-wrestle with the moral dimensions of inequality, whether it is morally permissible to acquiesce in practices and systems that contribute to it, whether there is a moral obligation to alleviate it, and, if so, who is morally obligated to do what. The study considers the moral traditions of liberalism, Marxism, natural law, feminism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and Confucianism. The inequalities that the study explores focus on property, natural resources, products, wealth, income, jobs, and taxation.Although disagreements are found within the moral traditions considered here, information on cross-tradition similarities and differences is limited. Economic Inequality and Morality aims for such a systematic comparison that will be of interest to moral philosophers, political theorists, and students alike, as well as to policymakers and concerned citizens.Economic Inequality and Morality is part of the Ethikon Series in Comparative Ethics.