Contributions To the Ethics of Economic Science. Liberalism and Its Alternatives

Abstract

The structure of the research presented by us in this article includes: some interferences of the ethics of economic science with other areas of thought, liberal-referential ethics of contemporary economic doctrines, examples of alternatives to liberal ethics, contributions of ethics to the important themes of economic science, the ethics of the economy in special conditions (war, financial crisis, pandemic), the application of ethical norms in the legislation of the European Union, ethics and equal opportunities in economic science, problems regarding ethics, truth and methods of research in economic science, coordination among ethics, economic doctrines and social movements.As for alternatives to liberalism, we have chosen Christian doctrine, economic thought independent of established economic doctrines, corrective currents of liberalism, such as social liberalism and humanism. We have indicated as important themes of the ethics of economic science the profit of companies, the problems of environmental protection, the choice between production efficiency or the equity of the distribution of the necessities of life, employment, the ethical dimensions of the choice between intervention and non-intervention in the economy. Through the content of the article and especially through the conclusions presented, we believe that we have suggested some new directions of research on ethics in economic science.