Abstract
This paper investigates the possibility of an “ethical capitalism”. In so doing, it analyzes the notions of “spirit of capitalism” and neoliberalism, showing how it makes sense to put forward a critique of capitalism revealing it as a historically contingent and mutable reality. Through a reading of authors such as Smith, Hegel, Sen and Honneth, the text shows how it can be claimed that there is a link between ethics and economics and that an “ethical guidance” of markets is conceivable. The paper also analyzes the relations between capitalism and its possible alternatives, such as the idea of socialism and the possibility of a “post-capitalism”, showing which type of theory of justice is suitable to tackle these problems, and argues that only critique and new concrete alternatives will be able to reorient economic practices towards a more ethical path.
| Translated title of the contribution | Can capitalism be ethical? Notes on the market, distributive justice and the socialist hypothesis |
|---|---|
| Original language | Portuguese |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-21 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Journal of Studies on Citizenship and Sustainability |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |
Keywords
- Capitalism
- Ethics
- Honneth
- Distributive justice
- Socialism