Dear steam-people! I have a very unreasonable request!
In looking for scholarships, I found an essay contest about the morality of profits... which I know nothing about, but would be really interested to research/write about. And I thought some of the people around here might be able to direct me to a starting point... authors? essays? wikipedia articles?
Wish me luck!

Are you sure that's not supposed to be the morality of profits? Mortality doesn't make any sense.

Wow... I read it as 'morality', too. I didn't even notice.

Maybe it should be The Mortality of Prophets. That would make sense,too

What's the deadline on the essay, spiffy? Whatever the title should be, I don't have any particular knowledge but I've got plenty of time I should be writing, so that means lots of time either staring at a blinking cursor or at webpages...

Well if it's 'morality' I can point you in a few helpful directions.

Ah! Yes, Morality, not mortality... please forgive the typo, that was written quite late at night. >_>

The deadline is late February, so I have a bit more than a month. The website posted these questions:

Are markets moral?
Is profit a means, or an end?
What is the relationship between greed and profit?
Can the pursuit of profit be understood as a good in itself or a necessary evil?
What are our core ethical responsibilities as we seek profits?
What are the implications of the morality of profit to the cause of international development, and enterprise solutions to poverty?

And the one I've been thinking most about is the "Is profit a means or an end," but if anyone could point me in a more concrete direction on any of them I would love you forever.

Two more questions--how many words, and what's the organisation sponsoring the contest? (I specifically want to know if it's religious, or what religion if so.) I'm just going out to the pub, but will give you ideas when I get back!

It's 3000 words, and the contest is run by a group called the SEVEN Fund - they're not religious, it's a non-profit trying to spread "enterprise-based solutions to poverty".

Aha, I've just found them. You should be aware that the Templeton Foundation is an organisation whose mission appears to be to give Christianity a rational veneer by coopting scientists and other secular experts; that may influence the way you want to address them. Here's an example:

http://www.templeton.org/evolution/

It may also be worth your while to read the subpages here:

http://www.templeton.org/funding_areas/ ... nterprise/

Given that I disagree with their premises and agenda, and given the essays they're suggesting as models, I don't think I can help. But if I were to write an essay on that topic here are a few of the things I'd bring to it:

Biblical thought: http://www.tentmaker.org/lists/UsuryScriptureList.html

Islamic thought: http://www.islambasics.com/view.php?bkID=107&chapter=13

an interesting little chart: http://www.macroknow.com/books/philosophy/usury.htm

Adam Smith's definition
Marxist concept of surplus value--created by the worker but appropriated by the capitalist

If you're able to get hold of it, I highly highly recommend this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Work-Ethic-Indust ... 0226723526
Is there a moral difference between people who profit from their own labour and people who profit from others'?

Will people work if they don't get a profit? What else would motivate people to achieve?
http://www.amazon.com/Continuum-Concept ... 0201050714
This is a really fantastic book, but unfortunately everything online about it talks only about childrearing issues; there's a lot more to it than that.

Yeah, the model essays kind of annoyed me too. XP Thanks for the link list, though... I'm a religion major, so I'm thinking a comparative religion look at it might be right up my alley, especially since my knowledge about economics is basically nil. And I found the books you recommended in my school library, so I'll check them out once I'm back on campus.
Thanks again, lots and lots!

Another good book if you can find it is Economics in one lesson There is even a pdf you can link to online at http://www.hacer.org/pdf/Hazlitt00.pdf. Its a good and fairly fast read and might help you with the subject also.

Ooh, thanks Cael! I just read the introduction, and it definitely looks helpful!

Wow, it's a little out of date, isn't it?

Though actually these arguments are ideal for this essay.

That's the thing about economics. The fundamentals don't really change with the times. And it also underscores another truism - those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

I'm not interested in arguing with you, but I will state my opinion, in case there are other people who've looked at this book and question it--I think the Hazlitt book a) is outdated (a lot has happened, and we've learned a lot, in the 65 years since it was written) b) perpetuates dangerous memes (who does he think runs 'the government', anyway, either in the abstract/in theory or in reality?) and c) serves, whether deliberately or unconsciously, to keep the Gini index up. I'm happy to provide evidence or arguments for my opinions, if anyone is actually interested, but as I said if you already know the answers--and therefore know I'm wrong--I'm not interested in changing your mind.

Wasn't trying to start an argument Carol, and I apologize if I came off as being provoking or argumentative. But, rather than arguing on Spiffy's thread, we could open a whole 'nother topic just about that.

Of course your arguments will probably be more insightful as my grasp of economic theory is at a basic level.

Isn't there already a (or several) 'steampunk economics' thread(s) somewhere?

Of course there are, the ones I've seen usually dwell on the evils of a profit based system. But anyway, I'm starting to drift way off topic so I'll shut up again.