Islam and the Institutions of a Free Society: Many Problems, Little Hope

No 43, Ratio Working Papers from The Ratio Institute

Abstract: The rule of law, constitutional democracy, and market economy are taken as the core institutions of free societies. After arguing that shared values heavily influence institutions, it is asked whether Islamic values are conducive to those institutions. The values are ascertained via the economic ethics of Islam as lived today and the attitudes of some Muslim populations via the analysis of a recent opinion poll. Neither the values nor the attitudes of Muslim societies seem particularly supportive of the institutions of a free society.

Keywords: Islam; Values; Culture; New Institutional economics; rule of law; constitutional democracy; market economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H11 K10 N45 P51 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-evo, nep-hpe and nep-sea
Date: Written 2004-05-17
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Forthcoming in The Independent Review.

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