To the Philosophy of Moral Economy: Conceptology of Anthropocentrism (Part I)

Abstract

The article presents authors’ vision of the philosophical platform for building a moral economy as one of the fundamental foundations of the formation of a new economic theory capable of reflecting development trends of the economy and the network society of the first half of the 21st century. The relevance of a new perspective on moral economy development, in which the vectors, priorities, and hierarchy of socially significant actions and social progress as a whole are changing, is determined by the heated scientific debate and polemic regarding the essence and nature of ecosystem in the new socioeconomic reality. The purpose of the article is to promote a fundamental rethinking of moral economy phenomenon, prerequisites for its formation with an emphasis on people-oriented development, strengthening the role of values, culture, decent work, solidarity, which should establish a new level of social quality in the future. To argue the concept of moral economy, general scientific and special methods of scientific research have been used - theoretical generalization, induction and deduction, logical justification, abstract-logical, historical, hypothetical methods. The elements of novelty are theoretical and methodological concepts regarding the essence and nature of moral economy and evidence confirming the proposed hypothesis of its necessary development as an objective reaction of societies and their leading social forces to the new global reality, which has scientific-technical, socio-economic, demographic and institutional prerequisites. Moral economy’s interpretation in the most general and detailed formulation, as opposed to the “product” approach, is given. The proposed concept of moral economy is revealed through its functions - methodological, socio-economic and institutional; organizational and managerial; worldview. Circumstances and processes that restrain socio-economic relations development on the basis of anthropocentrism and become a kind of “thrombus” on the way to building a new type of economy are singled out. The true role of culture in the economic sphere in the context of the relationship between culture, ethics and moral economy is revealed. The hypothesis that the unifying link between economy and culture is value is put forward. Values are considered as a resource, motive, source and existential foundation of positive social and labor dynamics. Assumptions are made regarding the parallel between phenomena and processes that generate a shortage of decent work, on the one hand, and development of the economy, which claims the status of “uncultured”, “immoral”, “non-human-centered”, on the other. The expressed hypothesis regarding unidirectionality of the principles of formation and functioning of moral economy and phenomenon of identity is argued. A thesis that the formation of moral economy will accelerate under condition of using the potential of solidarity is substantiated.