Ökonomische Vernunft und politische Ethik / Economic Reasoning and the Ethics of Policy

Thomas Schelling

ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, 2009, vol. 60, issue 1, 495-520

Abstract: Efficiency and equality, economic reasoning and the ethics of policy are often conceptualized as if they were in natural, unavoidable conflict with each other. This makes political problem solving difficult in practice. This article discusses how economic reasoning can - and how it cannot - help clarifying ethical problems. To this end, a contractual approach to social obligation is developed that could contribute to overcome such presupposed incommensurability between economics and ethics and thereby help identifying mutually beneficial solutions. The approach is illustrated by a number of examples. Among them are gasoline rationing, public rent control, minimum-wage laws, health insurance, the standard mileage method, family benefits, and airport safety.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1515/ordo-2009-0123

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