The Envy Economy

Economic Policy Aspects of a Vice

In ancient Greek mythology, even gods could be envious. The anthology “Envy Economics” examines the significance of envy in economics and economic policy. In addition to two longer essays by Erich Weede and Ernst Fehr, published here for the first time, it contains a selection of exemplary texts on the subject – by Helmut Schoeck, Gonzalo Fernández de la Mora, John Rawls and Friedrich August von Hayek. They are all accompanied by a summary in German and English. Robert Nef and Gerhard Schwarz, as editors, have contributed situating essays and a diverse selection of quotations on the subject of envy. Although the book does not develop an economic theory of envy, nor does it provide a definitive answer to the question of whether envy promotes or hinders progress, it does shed light on the various aspects of this vice from a sociological, economic and philosophical perspective.