Kapitalismus, Märkte und Moral

Contemporary calls for a “moral economy” provide the impetus for Ute Frevert’s inquiry into the historical relationship between capitalism and morality.

Frevert, U. (2019). Kapitalismus, Märkte und Moral. Wien: Residenz Verlag.

Are struggles over morality intrinsic to capitalism and have they always been? Or has the predicate “moral” been imposed on it from the outside? And if so, with what consequences? The book puts forth the claim that moral interventions have continuously altered capitalism and, importantly, ensured its survival.
From Robin Hood to Karl Marx, from Pope Francis to Bernie Sanders, from cooperatives to progressive taxation to the French Yellow Vests Movement—moral feelings like empathy, solidarity, fairness, and justice can animate political forces that have the potential to challenge and transform the capitalist order.