The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth

In this summary you will learn

• How economic growth correlates with improvement in democracy and social morality
• How history usually proves this correlation

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Why you should read The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth

Although author Benjamin M. Friedman teaches economics at Harvard, this book is not mainly about economics; it is mainly about morality. Friedman goes beyond traditional academic boundaries to propose that the moral tone of various Western democratic societies is connected to their economic growth. This impressive effort may introduce you to potential connections you might otherwise have ignored. However, Friedman offers both sides of the picture. Although economic growth correlates with social progress and stronger democracy, the correlation is not exact. There are some interesting counterexamples. Moreover, the question of how to define social moral progress is very much open. The author, for example, equates racial preferences in college admissions with moral progress, though that is a controversial issue. getAbstract.com finds that this good, thought-provoking book offers a great deal of valuable insight into a seldom-considered aspect of economic growth.

About the Author

Benjamin M. Friedman is the William Joseph Maier Professor of Political Economy and formerly chairman of the Department of Economics at Harvard University.