The Moral Meaning of Money
What is the role of money and wealth in our lives? In this course, we will think about the moral meaning of money with the help of sources both ancient and modern, from the Bible and Talmud to Adam Smith and Milton Friedman. The ancient Greeks and Jews were wary of wealth and its potential for moral corruption, whereas modern capitalist thinkers often tie prosperity positively to virtue and progress. How can we account for this apparent disagreement? How do we assess capitalism’s miraculous advances and its attendant potential vices? These questions do not have easy or simple answers, but through our readings and discussions we will come to understand different conceptions of wealth and the role it plays in private lives and public order.
Daniel Gutkind
Daniel Gutkind graduated with honors from the University of Chicago, where he studied Economics and Fundamentals: Issues and Texts. He received the Jamie Redfield Award for Excellence in Fundamentals, awarded to the student who has earned the highest honors scholastically in the Fundamentals program. Daniel has taught and co-taught courses for the Tikvah Online Academy on Zionist intellectual history, money and morality, and the American economy. He has also led Tikvah reading groups at the University of Chicago and Oxford.
Meet the Instructor
Courses in our special learning campaign are open to anyone in the community who registers at no cost. The Q&A will be reserved for current high-school students.
