Why are contemporary societies and their governments so preoccupied with economic growth? The standard answer points to individual preferences for increased material well-being. Suppose you have succeeded in detaching yourself from the consumerist mainstream, and this reasoning therefore leaves you unconvinced. Are there any other reasons to advocate growth? Benjamin Friedman thinks so. In his book, The Moral Consequences of Economic Growth, he argues for the bold claim that "the value of a rising standard of living lies not just in the concrete improvements it brings to how individuals live but in how it shapes the social, political, and ultimately the moral character of a people".
展开▼
