Publisher Description

In a riveting scene from the film Wall Street, Gordon Gekko proclaims that "greed is good." The great philosopher David Hume, on the other hand, describes greed as the most destructive of the vices. The recent banking debacle and continuing uproar about executive bonus pay has placed the controversial issue of greed at the very heart of how we view modern society. Is Gekko's maxim simply in need of some moderation? Or is Hume's view too extreme?

In Greed, Stewart Sutherland examines these conflicting notions and discusses how we might approach the problem of greed today. He looks at the concept of incentives, which are essential for achieving results, and whether the desire for money is really as dangerous as it might seem. Powerful and timely, Greed is a much-needed look at an attitude that, for better or worse, is an unavoidable driving force in modern society.

Author Biography

Stewart Sutherland is a scholar, public servant, and one of Britain's most distinguished philosophers of religion. He has been a crossbench peer in the House of Lords since 2001 and has served as vice chancellor of the University of Edinburgh and the University of London, principal of King's College London, and Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools.

Table of Contents

The problem David Hume: destructive or creative sceptic? Self-assertion or 'sympathy'? Stability, Property and Greed So What? Notes

Review

"A brief but powerful look at the history of avarice in society. . . . Haus is to be congratulated for its courage in dusting off the political pamphlet format and publishing a series of essays, short enough to be read in one sitting, in the internet age. . . . Sutherland's book is an elegantly written aperitif at a rather refined banquet of political ideas."
-- "Times Higher Education"
"A dense and thought-provoking read."
-- "Independent"

Review Quote

"A dense and thought-provoking read."

Details