Henry George and the Ethics of Economics
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2817902 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jack Schwartzman (International Paper (United States), corresponding author) |
| Year | 1986 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 101-114 |
| Publication date | 1986-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Economics and Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-9246 • E-ISSN: 1536-7150 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1536-7150.1986.tb01908.x |
| OpenAlex | W1969750780 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 4 |
Henry George's Progress and Poverty (1879) is a great ethical masterpiece. Its moral tone distinguishes the book. More than an economics test, it is a philosophic quest for justice, an impassioned declaration of the rule of natural law. Indignantly attacking the contention that economics has no place for natural law or ethics, George exclaims: "She [economics] has been degraded and shackled; her truths dislocated; her harmonies ignored." On the contrary, George stresses, political economy (economics) is a science, and like all sciences, is governed by natural law. Furthermore, it is basically "moral." Science must, of necessity, always lead to ethics. Natural law must, of necessity, always lead to morality, or justice."The law of human progress, what is it but the moral law?" George asks. "Unless its foundation be laid in justice the social structure cannot stand." The social ill that perpetuates poverty and the manifold evils it causes is private ownership of land and the private privilege of collecting its rent. "The fundamental law of nature, that the enjoyment by man shall be consequent upon his exertion, is thus violated
Economic Justice · George (robot) · Law and economics · Natural law · Political science · Sociology · Economic Theory and Institutions · Law · Political Economy and Marxism · Political Philosophy and Ethics
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |