Is the Pursuit of Money Incompatible with Morality?

In this interview, Adrian tackles the Incompatibility Thesis—the view that morality and the pursuit of profit are irreconcilable—and examines it through a critical engagement with both historical and contemporary writings on the moral status of markets. His analysis concentrates on the profit motive and its role in shaping the working lives of economic agents, particularly in the financial sector. Adrian’s central claim is that, while the pursuit of profit can indeed lead agents toward unethical ends, it is not inherently bound to do so. The profit motive should not be regarded as a single, uniform drive. Rather, Adrian identifies several distinct forms of profit motivation, some of which, he contends, are consistent with morally acceptable ends. Drawing these distinctions proves crucial for advancing debates in the philosophy of finance and financial ethics.