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Category Archives: Economics
Who creates wealth? The economy?
Economics has been called ‘the dismal science’? Is it? Humanity has now reached the stage where we need international conferences on how to stop trashing the planet: are our economic theories contributing to our destructiveness? ‘Dismal science’ was Thomas Carlyle’s … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Ethics, Theology
Tagged dismal science, economics, inequality, Malthus, population, poverty, theodicy
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Who creates wealth? Nature?
This is the second in a series of posts on wealth. Critics are increasingly challenging our dominant assumptions – not only because we are making more and more people hungry and homeless while the billionaires pile up: we are also … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Ethics, Theology
Tagged Adam Smith, Bernard Mandeville, economic growth, invisible hand, John Locke, Joseph Butler, self-interest, self-love, wealth, Wealth of Nations
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Who creates wealth? God?
When, around the year 200, Clement of Alexandria wrote Which Rich People Can Be Saved?, most Christians thought they couldn’t. When Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson publicised their trips into space, the assumption was the opposite: all that wealth was … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Economics, Ethics, God, Theology
Tagged agricultural revolution, food, Hunter-gatherers, Jesus, just prices, just wages, resources, trade, wealth
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The costs of economic growth
I have finally got round to reading E J Mishan’s The Costs of Economic Growth, a book I bought for an Economics course in the 1970s. Written in 1965 but not published till 1967 because it was considered too radical, … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Environment, Society
Tagged Buchanan Report, cars, Climate change, COP 26, E J Mishan, economic growth, environment, motor transport
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The free market and the moral vacuum
Nationalist racism, the idolising of aggressive leaders, the ever-increasing division between rich and poor: for those who don’t like it, the continuing success of reactionary movements is astonishing. With the sole exception of Joe Biden’s election the ‘developed’ world seems … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Ethics, God, Politics, Society
Tagged Free market, John Rawls, moral standards, neo-liberal capitalism, objective morality, politics, religion, values
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Church or state: who should care for the needy?
Fergus Butler-Gallie has written an an interesting article on the changing relationship between the Church of England and the Conservative Party: The Church of England (CofE) was once referred to as the ‘Tory Party at Prayer’, which remains the case … Continue reading
Why did 70 million vote for Trump?
From outside the USA it seems astonishing that 70 million people voted for another four years of Trump’s presidency. Many people have responded passionately, either shocked that anyone at all should support him or denouncing the way Democrats and ‘the … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Ethics, Politics, Society
Tagged blaming, Donald Trump, inequality, political values, politics, tyrants, welfare state
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Health or economy: which to protect?
So Britain is back into lockdown! It’s a controversial change. For some it was overdue. For some it is an infringement of human rights. For some it is a disaster for the economy. This post is about the arguments around … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Ethics, Politics, Society
Tagged coronavirus, Covid-19, economics, Gross Domestic Product, inequality, lockdown, the economg
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Is capitalism compatible with Christianity?
Is capitalism obligatory now? Are its opponents so extreme that their writings should not be taught in schools? Yes, according to the Guidance document published by the UK Department for Education on 24th September. To many commentators this reveals an … Continue reading
Posted in Churches, Economics, Ethics, God, Society, Theology
Tagged capitalism, Christianity, Department for Education, schools, UK Government
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Coronavirus and moral responsibility
Self-centredness and the limits to our understanding Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Environment, Ethics, Society
Tagged Augustine, coronavirus, economics, environment, morality, Self-centredness, selfishness, theodicy
2 Comments