Mark Peacock
Biographic Data
| ID | 3913638 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Mark Peacock |
| GIVEN NAMES | Mark |
| FAMILY NAME | Peacock |
| SIGNATURE | PEACOCK M |
| AFFILIATIONS | York University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6167-4971 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 25 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 28 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 25 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1993 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Demoralizing Markets: Vendor Conscience and Impersonalism
Structural Injustice and Ethical Consumption
Commodifying the Queue: Michael Sandel and the Politics of Paid Line Standing
Michael Sandel's critique of commodification is based on two pillars: corruption and fairness. After outlining these concepts, this paper scrutinizes Sandel's analysis of paid line-standing, focusing, in particular, on queues for congressional hearings in the United States. Sandel's corruption objection to commodifying places in queues for these hearings is unsatisfactory, and I develop an alternative account. According to that alternative, the c…
The Art of Not Being Seen: The Politics of Money
This essay reviews Stefan Eich’s book, The Currency of Politics: The Political Theory of Money from Aristotle to Keynes, Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 2022. Eich reveals the political interventions, both theoretical and practical, that have led to the appearance that money is not to be politicized or subject to democratic control. Although mildly critical of Eich’s book, the review above all serves the constructive purpose of…
An Embarrassment of Riches and a Surplus of Shame: Amartya Sen on Poverty and Deprivation
This theoretical contribution to poverty studies investigates Amartya Sen's work as a basis for examining poverty. Sen discusses two social capabilities, each essential to the avoidance of poverty; one is the ability to appear in public without feeling shame, the other the ability to participate in the life of the community. This essay analyzes the intricacies of using the concept of community as a reference group for judging a person's poverty. …
Market Processes and the Ethics of Consumption
Consumers are often implicated in unjust economic practices when they purchase commodities produced in ethically unacceptable ways. Consumers are, however, ignorant about the production of many of the commodities which leads to these unwitting consumption of unethically produced commodities. This article asks whether consumers are culpable for their ignorance about the unethical commodities they purchase
Accounting for money: The legal presuppositions of money and accounting in ancient Greece
This paper aims to extend the purview of Business History to the ancient world by exploring the hypothesis that the development of money was stimulated by legal institutions which regulated payment of compensation for torts. The hypothesis was propounded by Philip Grierson who argued that the Germanic institution of wergeld established the earliest concept of value which underlies money's function as a unit of account. It considers Grierson's the…
Inability, culpability and affected ignorance: Reflections on Michele Moody-Adams
In this article, I examine Michele Moody-Adams’ critique of the ‘inability thesis’, according to which some cultures make the resources for criticizing injustice ‘unavailable’ to their members. I investigate Moody-Adams’ alternative ‘affected ignorance’ thesis. Using the example of slavery in ancient Greece, I consider two potential candidates for affected ignorance which involve, respectively, ‘unawareness’ and ‘mistaken moral weighing’; in neit…
The Political Economy of Homeric Society and the Origins of Money
The first section of this paper reviews arguments for using Homer's epics to illuminate archaic Greek society. In Section I, aspects of ‘Homeric political economy’ are sketched with a focus on money. Section II poses the question of the origin of money. A critique of Carl Menger's account of the origin of money and his brief discussion of Homer is offered, after which the work of Bernhard Laum is examined. Laum, an adherent of the ‘state’ or ‘cha…
Starvation and Social Class: Amartya Sen on Markets and Famines
In his recent work, Amartya Sen assesses markets positively because they contribute to freedom. His work on famines, however, harbours a critical stance toward markets. In this paper, I compare Sen's ‘two views’ of markets and argue that his positive assessment is untenable. Markets can undermine freedom and, to show this, I examine the effects of market-dependence in times of famine; I extend the purview of Sen's analysis to include the manner i…
The Conceptual Construction of Altruism: Ernst Fehr’s Experimental Approach to Human Conduct
I offer an appreciation and critique of Ernst Fehr’s altruism research in experimental economics that challenges the “selfishness axiom” as an account of human behavior. I describe examples of Fehr’s experiments and their results and consider his conceptual terminology, particularly his “biological” definition of altruism and its counterintuitive implications. I also look at Fehr’s experiments from a methodological perspective and examine his exp…
Distinguishing graduates from dropouts and dismissals: Who fails boot camp
The Moral Economy of Parallel Currencies: An Analysis of Local Exchange Trading Systems
This article offers a monetary analysis of Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS) and examines both their moral and economic significance as well as the way in which these two aspects may conflict. After considering LETS' principles and history, I review three monetary theories in order to ascertain how one might best explore these phenomena. By drawing on the "Chartalist" tradition in monetary theory, I show (1) how strongly oriented LETS are to …
Altruism and the Indispensability of Motives
In this paper we examine Fehr’s notions of “altruism”, “strong reciprocity” and “altruistic punishment” and query his ascription of altruism. We suggest that, pace Fehr, altruism cannot be defined behaviourally because the definition of altruism must refer to the motives of actors. We also advert to certain inconsistencies in Fehr’s usage of his terms and we question his explanation of altruism in terms of ‘social preferences’
On Political Competition: Democracy, Opinion and Responsibility
Holocaust studies: What is to be learned
Discriminators of types of recidivism among boot camp graduates in a five-year follow-up study
Two-tier rationality and reflexivity: An examination of the foundations of economic reason
This paper develops a two-tier concept of rationality which broadens the orthodox notion of instrumental rationality in economics. In the first section, I conceive the idea of “background rationality” to consist in the ability to act normally, i.e., according to social conventions appropriate to the context. Background rationality is a necessary condition for the exercise of its instrumental counterpart. Implications and applications of this for …
The desire to understand and the politics of Wissenschaft: An analysis of the Historikerstreit
In 1986, a debate - der Historikerstreit (the historians’ dispute) - erupted in the German public sphere. It involved a number of historians who attempted to ‘revise’ approaches to the study of the Holocaust. Their endeavours met with fierce opposition, most notably from Jürgen Habermas, who accused them of trying to endow Germany with a presentable political image by relativizing the Holocaust. This article examines the conduct of the debate, in…
Taking Wittgenstein Seriously
Presentation de l'ouvrage de N. Pleasants intitule «Witgenstein et l'idee d'une theorie sociale critique» (1999) qui fait reference a la methode de la regle (rule-following) chez Wittgenstein pour entreprendre une critique deconstructive des trois representations theoriques du phenomene social chez A. Giddens, J. Habermas et R. Bhaskar
Local Exchange Trading Systems: A Solution to the Employment Dilemma
Local exchange trading systems (LETS) are fast becoming a significant socio‐economic phenomenon. It is held that they represent new forms of work which reduce unemployment. The author discusses LETS in the context of three contributions to the future of work to show that LETS are a neglected phenomenon. He then considers whether these proposals on the future of work offer an alternative to the unemployed. The empirical evidence shows a strong bia…
Ethics and the market
Explaining Theory Choice: An Assessment of the Critical Realist Contribution to Explanation in Science
Interpersonal Comparisons of Utility: Some lessons from Wittgenstein
This paper investigates the basis for making interpersonal comparisons of utility in everyday life. It argues that the position which many economists hold, namely that interpersonal comparisons of utility are highly problematic, impossible or even meaningless, is an implication of an underlying philosophy of mind, which locates utility, or enjoyment, in mental states which are private to individuals. The paper puts forward the suggestion that suc…
Hayek, Realism and Spontaneous Order
Discriminators of types of recidivism among boot camp graduates in a five-year follow-up study
The desire to understand and the politics of Wissenschaft: An analysis of the Historikerstreit
In 1986, a debate - der Historikerstreit (the historians’ dispute) - erupted in the German public sphere. It involved a number of historians who attempted to ‘revise’ approaches to the study of the Holocaust. Their endeavours met with fierce opposition, most notably from Jürgen Habermas, who accused them of trying to endow Germany with a presentable political image by relativizing the Holocaust. This article examines the conduct of the debate, in…
Accounting for money: The legal presuppositions of money and accounting in ancient Greece
This paper aims to extend the purview of Business History to the ancient world by exploring the hypothesis that the development of money was stimulated by legal institutions which regulated payment of compensation for torts. The hypothesis was propounded by Philip Grierson who argued that the Germanic institution of wergeld established the earliest concept of value which underlies money's function as a unit of account. It considers Grierson's the…
The Moral Economy of Parallel Currencies: An Analysis of Local Exchange Trading Systems
This article offers a monetary analysis of Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS) and examines both their moral and economic significance as well as the way in which these two aspects may conflict. After considering LETS' principles and history, I review three monetary theories in order to ascertain how one might best explore these phenomena. By drawing on the "Chartalist" tradition in monetary theory, I show (1) how strongly oriented LETS are to …
Explaining Theory Choice: An Assessment of the Critical Realist Contribution to Explanation in Science
Hayek, Realism and Spontaneous Order
The Political Economy of Homeric Society and the Origins of Money
The first section of this paper reviews arguments for using Homer's epics to illuminate archaic Greek society. In Section I, aspects of ‘Homeric political economy’ are sketched with a focus on money. Section II poses the question of the origin of money. A critique of Carl Menger's account of the origin of money and his brief discussion of Homer is offered, after which the work of Bernhard Laum is examined. Laum, an adherent of the ‘state’ or ‘cha…
Altruism and the Indispensability of Motives
In this paper we examine Fehr’s notions of “altruism”, “strong reciprocity” and “altruistic punishment” and query his ascription of altruism. We suggest that, pace Fehr, altruism cannot be defined behaviourally because the definition of altruism must refer to the motives of actors. We also advert to certain inconsistencies in Fehr’s usage of his terms and we question his explanation of altruism in terms of ‘social preferences’
Starvation and Social Class: Amartya Sen on Markets and Famines
In his recent work, Amartya Sen assesses markets positively because they contribute to freedom. His work on famines, however, harbours a critical stance toward markets. In this paper, I compare Sen's ‘two views’ of markets and argue that his positive assessment is untenable. Markets can undermine freedom and, to show this, I examine the effects of market-dependence in times of famine; I extend the purview of Sen's analysis to include the manner i…
Distinguishing graduates from dropouts and dismissals: Who fails boot camp
Holocaust studies: What is to be learned
Local Exchange Trading Systems: A Solution to the Employment Dilemma
Local exchange trading systems (LETS) are fast becoming a significant socio‐economic phenomenon. It is held that they represent new forms of work which reduce unemployment. The author discusses LETS in the context of three contributions to the future of work to show that LETS are a neglected phenomenon. He then considers whether these proposals on the future of work offer an alternative to the unemployed. The empirical evidence shows a strong bia…
Hayek, Realism and Spontaneous Order
Interpersonal Comparisons of Utility: Some lessons from Wittgenstein
This paper investigates the basis for making interpersonal comparisons of utility in everyday life. It argues that the position which many economists hold, namely that interpersonal comparisons of utility are highly problematic, impossible or even meaningless, is an implication of an underlying philosophy of mind, which locates utility, or enjoyment, in mental states which are private to individuals. The paper puts forward the suggestion that suc…
Local Exchange Trading Systems: A Solution to the Employment Dilemma
Local exchange trading systems (LETS) are fast becoming a significant socio‐economic phenomenon. It is held that they represent new forms of work which reduce unemployment. The author discusses LETS in the context of three contributions to the future of work to show that LETS are a neglected phenomenon. He then considers whether these proposals on the future of work offer an alternative to the unemployed. The empirical evidence shows a strong bia…
Ethics and the market
Explaining Theory Choice: An Assessment of the Critical Realist Contribution to Explanation in Science
The desire to understand and the politics of Wissenschaft: An analysis of the Historikerstreit
In 1986, a debate - der Historikerstreit (the historians’ dispute) - erupted in the German public sphere. It involved a number of historians who attempted to ‘revise’ approaches to the study of the Holocaust. Their endeavours met with fierce opposition, most notably from Jürgen Habermas, who accused them of trying to endow Germany with a presentable political image by relativizing the Holocaust. This article examines the conduct of the debate, in…
Taking Wittgenstein Seriously
Presentation de l'ouvrage de N. Pleasants intitule «Witgenstein et l'idee d'une theorie sociale critique» (1999) qui fait reference a la methode de la regle (rule-following) chez Wittgenstein pour entreprendre une critique deconstructive des trois representations theoriques du phenomene social chez A. Giddens, J. Habermas et R. Bhaskar
Discriminators of types of recidivism among boot camp graduates in a five-year follow-up study
Two-tier rationality and reflexivity: An examination of the foundations of economic reason
This paper develops a two-tier concept of rationality which broadens the orthodox notion of instrumental rationality in economics. In the first section, I conceive the idea of “background rationality” to consist in the ability to act normally, i.e., according to social conventions appropriate to the context. Background rationality is a necessary condition for the exercise of its instrumental counterpart. Implications and applications of this for …
On Political Competition: Democracy, Opinion and Responsibility
Holocaust studies: What is to be learned
Altruism and the Indispensability of Motives
In this paper we examine Fehr’s notions of “altruism”, “strong reciprocity” and “altruistic punishment” and query his ascription of altruism. We suggest that, pace Fehr, altruism cannot be defined behaviourally because the definition of altruism must refer to the motives of actors. We also advert to certain inconsistencies in Fehr’s usage of his terms and we question his explanation of altruism in terms of ‘social preferences’
Distinguishing graduates from dropouts and dismissals: Who fails boot camp
The Moral Economy of Parallel Currencies: An Analysis of Local Exchange Trading Systems
This article offers a monetary analysis of Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS) and examines both their moral and economic significance as well as the way in which these two aspects may conflict. After considering LETS' principles and history, I review three monetary theories in order to ascertain how one might best explore these phenomena. By drawing on the "Chartalist" tradition in monetary theory, I show (1) how strongly oriented LETS are to …
The Conceptual Construction of Altruism: Ernst Fehr’s Experimental Approach to Human Conduct
I offer an appreciation and critique of Ernst Fehr’s altruism research in experimental economics that challenges the “selfishness axiom” as an account of human behavior. I describe examples of Fehr’s experiments and their results and consider his conceptual terminology, particularly his “biological” definition of altruism and its counterintuitive implications. I also look at Fehr’s experiments from a methodological perspective and examine his exp…
Starvation and Social Class: Amartya Sen on Markets and Famines
In his recent work, Amartya Sen assesses markets positively because they contribute to freedom. His work on famines, however, harbours a critical stance toward markets. In this paper, I compare Sen's ‘two views’ of markets and argue that his positive assessment is untenable. Markets can undermine freedom and, to show this, I examine the effects of market-dependence in times of famine; I extend the purview of Sen's analysis to include the manner i…
Inability, culpability and affected ignorance: Reflections on Michele Moody-Adams
In this article, I examine Michele Moody-Adams’ critique of the ‘inability thesis’, according to which some cultures make the resources for criticizing injustice ‘unavailable’ to their members. I investigate Moody-Adams’ alternative ‘affected ignorance’ thesis. Using the example of slavery in ancient Greece, I consider two potential candidates for affected ignorance which involve, respectively, ‘unawareness’ and ‘mistaken moral weighing’; in neit…
The Political Economy of Homeric Society and the Origins of Money
The first section of this paper reviews arguments for using Homer's epics to illuminate archaic Greek society. In Section I, aspects of ‘Homeric political economy’ are sketched with a focus on money. Section II poses the question of the origin of money. A critique of Carl Menger's account of the origin of money and his brief discussion of Homer is offered, after which the work of Bernhard Laum is examined. Laum, an adherent of the ‘state’ or ‘cha…
Accounting for money: The legal presuppositions of money and accounting in ancient Greece
This paper aims to extend the purview of Business History to the ancient world by exploring the hypothesis that the development of money was stimulated by legal institutions which regulated payment of compensation for torts. The hypothesis was propounded by Philip Grierson who argued that the Germanic institution of wergeld established the earliest concept of value which underlies money's function as a unit of account. It considers Grierson's the…
Market Processes and the Ethics of Consumption
Consumers are often implicated in unjust economic practices when they purchase commodities produced in ethically unacceptable ways. Consumers are, however, ignorant about the production of many of the commodities which leads to these unwitting consumption of unethically produced commodities. This article asks whether consumers are culpable for their ignorance about the unethical commodities they purchase
An Embarrassment of Riches and a Surplus of Shame: Amartya Sen on Poverty and Deprivation
This theoretical contribution to poverty studies investigates Amartya Sen's work as a basis for examining poverty. Sen discusses two social capabilities, each essential to the avoidance of poverty; one is the ability to appear in public without feeling shame, the other the ability to participate in the life of the community. This essay analyzes the intricacies of using the concept of community as a reference group for judging a person's poverty. …
Structural Injustice and Ethical Consumption
Commodifying the Queue: Michael Sandel and the Politics of Paid Line Standing
Michael Sandel's critique of commodification is based on two pillars: corruption and fairness. After outlining these concepts, this paper scrutinizes Sandel's analysis of paid line-standing, focusing, in particular, on queues for congressional hearings in the United States. Sandel's corruption objection to commodifying places in queues for these hearings is unsatisfactory, and I develop an alternative account. According to that alternative, the c…
The Art of Not Being Seen: The Politics of Money
This essay reviews Stefan Eich’s book, The Currency of Politics: The Political Theory of Money from Aristotle to Keynes, Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 2022. Eich reveals the political interventions, both theoretical and practical, that have led to the appearance that money is not to be politicized or subject to democratic control. Although mildly critical of Eich’s book, the review above all serves the constructive purpose of…
Demoralizing Markets: Vendor Conscience and Impersonalism
Economics (16 works) · Sociology (14 works) · Philosophy (13 works) · Political science (12 works) · Epistemology (10 works) · Psychology (10 works) · Law (9 works) · Philosophy (8 works) · Economic Theory and Institutions (7 works) · Law (7 works)