Douglas, Gesell, and the Economic Ethics of Ezra Pound
The poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972) was a moralist who regarded economics as key to understanding human society, and thereby to solve most social problems. He became a prolific writer of economic texts, in which he espoused the ideas of two economists: Major Clifford Douglas’ social credit and national dividend, and Silvio Gesell’s perishable currency. Pound’s economic thought reflects deep philosophical and moral roots. However, it is unfortunate that, of Pound’s economic lessons, the morally most compelling ones are also those less economically sound.
Can ice cream be money?: Perishable medium of exchange
The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that a perishable good may be used as commodity money, even in economies in which perfectly durable commodities are available. This is shown in the general context of a search-theoretical model of a decentralized economy.
Bernard Dempsey's Theological Economics: Usury, Profit, and Human Fulfillment
Bernard Dempsey est un jesuite americain qui questionne les problemes economiques contemporains dans une perspective theologique thomiste. Pour lui, l'economie moderne est synonyme d'usure institutionalisee. Les recherches de Dempsey s'inscrivent dans un debat qui a ete initie par des economistes. Dempsey situe la proscription de l'usure dans le contexte social d'une economie fonctionnelle. La participation a la vie economique constitue une tâche theologique. Bien que la production de richesses soit une activite importante et prise en compte par Dempsey, il insiste egalement sur la vertu economique