Ecology and Ethics in the Economy

Abstract

It is the task of the economy to efficiently organize the satisfaction of consumer demand. Economic theory gives criteria by which efficiency can be measured. The task of ethics in the economy is to guarantee that justice is observed in the interactions of the economy and in its relationship with the natural environment. The ethical principle of justice calls also for open and fair chances to enter contestable markets. It requires the impartial distribution of the opportunities to develop themselves between the individuals. The addressee of the ethical demands might be an individual in the market as well as the lawmakers and politicians in the state. In the economy, ethics is neither limited to entrepreneurs nor to the government but directed towards private commerce and industry as well as to the legislature and the state’s economic actions.