Market, Ethics, and Morality

Ali Zeytoon-Nejad

Papers from arXiv.org

Abstract: This paper provides a clear philosophy on codes of human conduct within economic and social institutions like markets and government. It categorizes these codes into ethics and morals: ethics involve nonmaleficence (avoiding harm), while morals involve beneficence (doing good). Ethics, such as honesty, respecting property, and keeping promises, are universally accepted minimal norms essential for the functioning of social institutions. In contrast, morals, including altruism, self-sacrifice, and generosity, are subjective and context-dependent, linked to individual virtues and influenced by character, culture, and religion. The paper argues that ethical behavior is a necessary condition for an act to be considered moral. Accordingly, human acts can be classified into four categories: unethical-immoral, solely ethical, perceived moral, and truly moral, with examples provided for each type. It posits that the free market system, unlike socialism or communism, requires only ethical agents to succeed, as they ensure the market's mission of improving human well-being. These agents do not necessarily need to be moral for the market to function effectively. Furthermore, the paper discusses that voluntary morality, in the sense of helping others out of compassion, can greatly benefit any human-based institution, including markets, by enhancing social capital alongside ethics and the justice system. However, the forced incorporation of personal moral principles into the economic system can be detrimental to the virtuousness of intended moral acts, economic efficiency, individual liberty, responsibility, and social cohesion.

Date: 2026-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hpe
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:arx:papers:2610.00023

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