Everyday Greed: Analysis and Appraisal (Ethical Economy, 58)

"This collection examines how greed should be understood and appraised. Roundly condemned by virtually all religions, greed receives mixed appraisals in the domains of business and economics. The volume examines these mixed appraisals and how they fare in light of their implications for greed in our everyday world. Greed in children is uniformly criticized by parents, other adults, and even children’s peers. However, in adulthood, greed is commended by some as essential to profit-seeking in business and for offering the greatest promise in promoting economic prosperity for everyone. Those who advocate a more permissive position on greed in the adult world typically concede that some constraints on greed are needed. However, the supporting literature offers little analysis of what greed is (as distinct from, for example, the effort to meet modest needs, or the pursuit of ordinary self-interested ends). It offers little clarification of what sorts of constraints on greed are needed. Nor is careful attention given to difficulties children might have in making a transition without moral loss from regarding greed as inappropriate to its later qualified acceptance. Through a secular approach, this book attempts to make significant inroads in remedying these shortcomings."--Publisher's website Preface Reference Acknowledgments Contents Part I: Identifying Greed in Our Everyday World Chapter 1: The Unavoidability of Greed? 1.1 Greater Clarity? 1.2 Economic Systems “Run on Greed”? 1.3 A Need for Greed? 1.4 Friedman’s Moral Stance 1.5 Sensible Knaves 1.6 What Is Greed? 1.7 A Prototype Approach 1.8 “Modest Greed” 1.9 Greed in Children and Adults 1.10 Learning How to Help Oneself 1.11 Becoming an Adult 1.12 John Rawls’ “Original Position” 1.13 Monopoly 1.14 Is “Fair and Square” Enough? References Chapter 2: Tales of Greed and the Search for Remedies 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The Unraveling of Wall Street: The Market Crash of 2008 2.3 The Volkswagen Crash 2.4 Boeing: Loss of Human Life 2.5 Interface and Ray Anderson 2.6 Unilever and Paul Polman 2.7 3 M and Joseph Ling 2.8 The Promise of Education References Part II: Normative Assessments of Greed Chapter 3: Understanding Greed and Wrongness 3.1 Introduction: Greed and Goodness 3.2 The Origins of Greed 3.3 Contrasting Greed with Self-Interest 3.4 Greed and Goodness 3.5 Greed and Evil 3.6 Conclusion References Chapter 4: Against the Need for Greed 4.1 The Necessity-Claim 4.2 Any Kind of Greed 4.3 Against the Necessity of Greed 4.4 Counterarguments 4.5 Conclusion References Chapter 5: The Irrationality of Greed 5.1 Introduction 5.2 What Is Greed? 5.3 How Is Greed Irrational? 5.4 Why Is Greed Not Good? 5.5 Objections 5.6 Conclusion References Chapter 6: Greed and Social Context 6.1 Greed and Self-Interest 6.2 Making the Distinction 6.3 Is Greed Good? 6.4 Concluding Remarks References Chapter 7: Greed and Addiction 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Two Theoretical Cases 7.3 Greed Case 7.4 Addiction Case 7.5 A Modest Proposal 7.6 Objections 7.7 Concluding Remarks: What Comes Next References Chapter 8: Greed, the Market, and Human Flourishing 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Defining Greed 8.3 Greed as Desire for Material Wealth Beyond One’s Needs 8.4 Greed as Consumption that Denies Others the Opportunity to Similarly Consume 8.5 Greed as Exclusive Focus on Accumulating Material Wealth 8.6 Greed and Human Flourishing 8.7 Solutions Aimed at Reforming Character 8.8 Positive Psychology 8.9 The Arts References Part I: Identifying Greed in Our Everyday World -- Chapter 1. The Unavoidability of Greed? (Michael S. Pritchard and Elaine E. Englehardt) -- Chapter 2. Tales of Greed and the Search for Remedies (Elaine E. Englehardt and Michael S. Pritchard) -- Part II: Normative Assessments of Greed -- Chapter 3. Understanding Greed and Wrongness (Alexander Hoffmann) -- Chapter 4. Against the Need for Greed (Chance Lacina) -- Chapter 5. The Irrationality of Greed (Kaleb Terbush) -- Chapter 6. Greed and Social Context (Chad Watson) -- Chapter 7. Greed and Addiction (Ian Everitt) -- Chapter 8. Greed, the Market, and Human Flourishing (Rebecca Cobern Kates)