Virtues and Awards

Abstract

Central to the eighteenth century was the rich issue concerning theories of action and its motivations. Hume, Rousseau, Smith have written complex theories of action where the motivations in the social and economic arena were much more complex than just the search for self-interest. In Italy there was also lively debate, and thinkers like Pietro Verri and Antonio Genovesi made important statements on the unintended consequences of actions, imitation, emulation, desire for distinction, and so on.

Several hundreds of books are concerned with crimes and punishments; only few with merits and rewards.

Melchiorre Gioja, Del merito e delle ricompense