In Justice

The surprisingly vehement demonstrations at recent meetings of international monetary organizations have alerted people to the dangers of new global economic arrangements. Are there any fundamental standards within economic theory? How can economies and economic proposals best be measured? What does economic justice mean today? Spurred especially by the situation of women in the global household, Ann-Cathrin Jarl in this considerable contribution focuses on promising work in feminist economics and feminist ethics. Jarl articulates feminist critiques of neoclassical economic theory, objectivity in economics, and current understandings of rights, equality, and power. She derives an alternative social theory from feminist ethics, and she lands on provision for basic human needs as the benchmark of economic justice. In her final chapters Jarl offers a theory of economic justice aimed at strengthening the global household and bringing the claims of justice to the world of markets.