How Much Is Enough?: Money and the Good Life

A provocative and timely call for a moral approach to economics, drawing on philosophers, political theorists, writers, and economists from Aristotle to Marx to Keynes What constitutes the good life? What is the true value of money? Whydo we work such long hours merely to acquire greater wealth? Theseare some of the questions that many asked themselves when thefinancial system crashed in 2008. This book tackles such questionshead-on. The authors begin with the great economist John Maynard Keynes.In 1930 Keynes predicted that, within a century, per capita incomewould steadily rise, people's basic needs would be met, and no onewould have to work more than fifteen hours a week. Clearly, he waswrong: though income has increased as he envisioned, our wantshave seemingly gone unsatisfied, and we continue to work long hours. The Skidelskys explain why Keynes was mistaken. Then, arguingfrom the premise that economics is a moral science, they trace theconcept of the good life from Aristotle to the present and show howour lives over the last half century have strayed from that ideal. Finally, they issue a call to think anew about what really matters in our livesand how to attain it. How Much Is Enough? is a work of deep intelligenceand ethical commitment accessible to all readers.