Nierówności ekonomiczne a rozwój gospodarczy i dobrobyt społeczny
Economic Inequalities vs. Economic Development and Social Well-Being

Summary/Abstract: This is a contribution to the discussion about the impact of economic inequalities on economic development and social well-being. The rising inequalities in income and wealth distribution, seen in many countries including the most developed ones, have reached a level, which can hardly be explained by traditional economic concepts and which cannot be accepted from the axiological point of view. The author maintains that the neutral position taken on this issue by the mainstream economics raises more and more doubts both on the normative and positive (descriptive) plane in economic reasoning. From the normative standpoint, inequality becomes an important issue involved in the dispute about economic behavior; the lack of moderation, irresponsibility and the ignorance of ethical norms in pursuit of money and wealth tends to destabilize the economy – a tendency evidenced by many analyses of the causes of the recent global financial and economic crisis. On the descriptive and explanatory plane, the results of empirical research point to manifold threats to economic growth, social well-being and sustainable development linked to the proceeding process of polarization and concentration of income and wealth.

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