文档介绍：THE ETHICS OF
ECONOMIC RATIONALISM
JOHN WRIGHT is a philosopher and teaches in the areas of History of
Philosophy, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Religion and Philosophy of Science at the
University of Newcastle, Australia. He has previously written books on the
Philosophy of Science and on Metaphysics and is now working on a book on
rationality and scientific method.
THE ETHICS OF
ECONOMIC
RATIONALISM
John Wright
UNSW
PRESS
A UNSW Press book
Published by
University of New South Wales Press Ltd
University of New South Wales
UNSW Sydney NSW 2052
AUSTRALIA
© John Wright 2003
First published 2003
This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing
for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or
review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part
may be reproduced by any process without written
permission. Inquiries should be addressed to the publisher.
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:
Wright, John, 1956–.
The ethics of economic rationalism.
Bibliography.
ISBN 0 86840 661 9.
1. Economics — Australia — Moral and ethical aspects.
2. Australia — Social policy. 3. Australia — Economic
policy. I. Title.
Printer Griffin Press
CONTENTS
Preface vii
Acknowledgments xi
PART ONE:THE ECONOMIC CASE FOR ECONOMIC RATIONALISM 1
1 What is economic rationalism? 3
2 The foundations of economic rationalism in classical economics 19
3 Economic rationalism, efficiency and the free market 38
PART TWO:THE ETHICAL CASE FOR ECONOMIC RATIONALISM 63
4 Rationality and morality 64
5 Utilitarianism 74
6 The arguments from desert 100
7 Social Darwinism 123
8 The argument for the free market from the notion
of voluntary exchange 138
9Economic democracy and the maximisation of liberty 151
10 Conservatism, the free market and economic rationalism 167
11 Summary and Conclusions 181
Notes 187
Bibliography 199
Index 202
PREFACE
The expression ‘economic rationalism’ was first us