How should economists treat morality?
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Finance & economics | Free Exchange<br>How should economists treat morality?<br>Sometimes it is more than merely an exogenous constraint<br>Share
Illustration: Álvaro Bernis
May 21st 2026|5 min read
WHY IS BUYING heroin easier than hiring a hitman? Both are illegal. Yet find yourself in an unfamiliar town and ask around where you might get your fix and—possibly after being met by a few disgusted glances and wide-eyed stares—you are eventually given a phone number or directions to some sketchy area. Even if someone bothers to report you to the police, the constabulary is too busy to follow up on a single user. Start asking where you can get the services of a contract killer, however, and if you receive any leads at all, you are most likely to find yourself talking to an undercover policeman.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Amoral calculus”
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