Wealth, Virtue, and Moral Luck
![]() 280 pp., 6 x 9 Hardcover ISBN: 9781647121372 (164712137X) 280 pp., 6 x 9 Paperback ISBN: 9781647121389 (1647121388) eBook ISBN: 9781647121396 E-Inspection Request E-Inspection October 2021 Sales Rights: World Moral Traditions series EXPLORE THIS TITLE DescriptionTable of Contents Reviews |
Wealth, Virtue, and Moral Luck
Christian Ethics in an Age of Inequality
Kate Ward
In a deeply unequal world, our economic status shapes our pursuit of virtue whether we have enough resources to live comfortably or struggle to survive Our understanding of inequality as a moral problem is incomplete. It is not enough to say that inequality is caused by moral failing. We must also see that influence runs in both directions. Inequality harms people's moral development. Kate Ward, who received her PhD from Boston College in 2016, is an assistant professor of theology at Marquette University. She has published articles on wealth, virtue, and economic inequality in journals including Theological Studies, the Journal of Religious Ethics, Heythrop Journal, and the Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics. David Cloutier, Darlene Weaver, and Andrea Vicini, SJ
Reviews
"Inequality has risen to the top of the political agenda. Long neglected by economists, it is now seen as a pressing concern. Ward makes the argument that inequality harms moral development. She shows that it can impede virtue among rich and poor alike. This is a perspective with deep resonance in the Christian tradition but which attracts comparatively little attention in contemporary discourse. With this novel perspective, Ward offers an indispensable contribution to the literature on inequality."—Anthony M. Annett, Gabelli Fellow, Fordham University "In this insightful and vibrantly interdisciplinary volume, Kate Ward shows how the moral luck of social inequality misshapes characters and divides communities, by conferring individualistic hyperagency on those of us who have more than enough, and demeaning deprivation on those who lack it. Fusing compelling analysis with practical examples and directions for transformation, Ward's welcome contribution advances the frontiers of both Catholic economic and virtue ethics. Highly recommended!"—Christine Firer Hinze, professor of theology, Fordham University Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: Reframing the Problem of Inequality 1. Groundwork 2. Christian Virtue Ethics 3. Toward a Christian Virtue Account of Moral Luck 4. Defining Wealth and Poverty for Christian Virtue Ethics 5. Wealth, Virtue, and the Dangers of Hyperagency 6. Poverty, Virtue, and the Impact of Scarcity 7. Inequality and Virtue Bibliography Index About the Author |