Overview
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. In Wealth, Virtue, and Moral Luck, Kate Ward addresses the issue of inequality from the perspective of Christian virtue ethics, arguing that moral luck—our individual life circumstances—affects our ability to pursue virtue. Economic status functions as moral luck and impedes the ability of both the wealthy and the poor to pursue virtues such as prudence, justice, and temperance, and extreme inequality exacerbates the impact of wealth and poverty on virtue. With these realities in mind, Ward shows how Christians and Christian communities should respond to the challenges inequality poses to virtue. Through working to change the structures that perpetuate extreme inequality—and through spiritual practices, including contentment, conversion, encountering others, and reminding ourselves of our ultimate dependence on God—Ward believes that we can create a world where all people can pursue and achieve virtue.
Full Product Details
Author: Kate Ward
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
Imprint: Georgetown University Press
Weight: 0.581kg
ISBN: 9781647121372
ISBN 10: 164712137
Pages: 280
Publication Date: 01 October 2021
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Reviews
Kate Ward’s innovative contribution to research on economic inequality focuses on the extent to which such inequality causes, rather than merely reflects, moral deformation in society. * Theological Studies * Wealth, Virtue, and Moral Luck makes a vital and well-constructed contribution to Christian virtue ethics. * Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics *
Kate Ward's innovative contribution to research on economic inequality focuses on the extent to which such inequality causes, rather than merely reflects, moral deformation in society. * Theological Studies *
Author Information
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.
