This book publishes the English translation of texts that appeared first in Gennan in two separate booklets. Part One, The Ethics of Capitalism includ ing the comment by JAMES M. BUCHANAN, has been published in Gennan under the title Ethik des Kapitalismus, Ttibingen (J.C.B. Mohr [paul Sie beck)) 1982, 5th edition 1995, in the series "Walter Eucken Institut, Vort:rt1ge und Aufsatze", vol. 87. Part Two, Evolution and Society. A Critique of So ciobiology, appeared first in German under the title Evolution und Gesell schaft. Eine Auseinandersetzung mit der Soziobiologie, Ttibingen (J.e.B. Mohr [Paul Siebeck)) 1984, 2nd edition 1989, in the same series, vol. 98. Part One of the book has been translated by the author, Part Two by DAVID AMBUEL. I should like to thank Liberty Fund Inc., Indianapolis, USA, for its sup port of the translation of Part Two, Georg Siebeck of J.C.B. Mohr (paul Siebeck) Publishers, Ttibingen, for the pennission to publish the English translation of the two essays and to my co-workers at the Forschungsinstitut ftir Philosophie Hannover -The Hannover Institute of Philosophical Re search, Hannover, Germany, for their support in editing this volume.

Autorentext
Peter Koslowski ist Gründungsdirektor des Forschungsinstituts für Philosophie Hannover und Professor für Philosophie und Politische Ökonomie an der Universität Witten/Herdecke.

Klappentext

The book has two subjects, first the ethical theory of the economic order, and secondly the critique of sociobiology and its theory of evolution. The first part, the ethics of capitalism, analyzes the rise of capitalism and the business ethics and moral theory of a capitalist economic order in a perspective from philosophy and economics. The second part, a critique of sociobiology, gives a philosophical assessment of sociobiology's contribution to the theory of the economy and society and of its impact for metaphysics and a general world view. James M. Buchanan, Nobel prize winner in economics, discusses the first part of the book in his comment "The Morality of Capitalism".

Inhalt
Contents: The Ethics of Capitalism: What Does Morality of an Economic System Mean?- The Development Toward Capitalism.- Conceptions of the Market Economy: Models of Mechanism and Models of Interaction.- Morals in Capitalism, or: Are Morals Superfluous in a Working Market?- The Morality of Capitalism and the Limits of Its Justification.- Some Social-Philosophical Conclusions.- The Morality of Capitalism. Comment on Peter Koslwoski, the Ethics of Capitalism.- Evolution and Society. A Critique of Sociobiology: The Concept and Program of Sociobiology.- Sociobiology as Bioeconomics.- On the Ontology of the Theory of Evolution.- Natural Economy Versus Social Economy.- The Sphere of the Mind, or: Unsolved Problems of Sociobiology.- Sociobiology as a World-view and the Choice Between World-views.