Capitalism and Human Values by Tony Wilkinson

Capitalism and Human Values by Tony Wilkinson

Capitalism is not enough.

It has brought us prosperity and no other economic system can match its energy and innovation, but it has a dark side of exploitation and instability.

Capitalism needs to be bounded by values. But which values? What indeed are values anyway and how do we locate and share values strong enough to balance the power of capitalism in society? Relativism has swept away old certainties and we struggle to agree what should lie at the centre of our lives.

In this book we construct a foundation for values based on our common humanity and explore personal, social and political values from a fresh perspective.

We show how with values placed on a strong foundation individual lives can reacquire meaning and purpose. Politics can be transformed from the half-corrupted subject of popular indifference it has become. Above all, capitalism can be a tool for good, a servant rather than a master.

Tony Wilkinson earned first class honours in philosophy at Cambridge, before a career in government service and investment management. He is the author of The lost art of being happy - spirituality for sceptics. Among other important influences are a long term study of Aikido and the experience of helping at his local Citizen's Advice. He lives in Leicestershire and is married with one daughter, three stepchildren and eight grandchildren.