Ethics and economics: towards a solidarity-based economy

This work analyses the relation between ethics and economics, presenting a classification of the different positions along two main lines: whether they are supposed to be separate o connected and whether prominence is given to one or the other. Some of the limits of the approaches that see the two as separate and independent are then discussed, before moving into the discussion of the issues related to the ways in which ethics can enter economics. The areas in which it is possible to see the relevance of ethics for economics are then presented and the roles of law and (real) moral codes discussed. We then move to consider the case and features of perfect competition and the limits of other markets forms from an ethical point of view. Lastly, the technical distinction among different “types” of goods is introduced and the role of markets in relation to each of them discussed. While markets are clearly crucial in the provision of “private” goods, their possible limits and shortcomings when confronted with other types of good (mainly personal, political and public goods) are highlighted (following the lines suggested by both US philosophers E Anderson and M Nussbaum and economist A Sen).