What has economics got to do with morality?

For decades we’ve been told the answer is: very little. Modern economics has often sought to present itself as a science, stripping away questions of values and morality in favour of models, markets and measurable outcomes. If ethics enters the conversation at all, it is usually after the fact, stepping in only when markets fail.

But as inequality deepens, trust in public institutions declines and the climate crisis accelerates, many are asking whether an economy without a moral compass can ever deliver a flourishing society.

Perhaps it’s time to ask a different question.

What if economics wasn't simply about generating wealth, but about creating the conditions in which people and communities can thrive? What if the purpose of markets, governments and businesses was not merely to fix problems, but to build the common good from the outset?

In the final event marking Theos’ 20th anniversary, and in partnership with Southwark Cathedral, world-leading economist and public intellectual Professor Mariana Mazzucato explores why the idea of the common good is making a remarkable return to public life. Drawing on the ideas behind her groundbreaking new book The Common Good Economy, she argues that economies should be designed around shared purpose, participation and human flourishing, offering a practical vision for how governments, businesses and citizens can build a future that serves both people and the planet.

The lecture will be chaired by Dr Nick Spencer and followed by a response from Prof. Anna Rowlands.

Date: Thursday 22nd October

Location: Southwark Cathedral Nave, London Bridge, London, SE1 9DA

Time: Entry from 6.30pm with the event starting at 7pm

We are pleased that tickets to this event are free, but we encourage donations to Southwark Cathedral on the night.

About the speakers

Professor Mariana Mazzucato - Mariana Mazzucato is Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London (UCL), where she is Founding Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation & Public Purpose. She is winner of numerous international prizes and awards and the author of several books, most recently The Common Good Economy: A New Compass.

Professor Anna Rowlands - Prof. Anna Rowlands is the holder of the St Hilda Chair in Catholic Social Thought and Practice at the University of Durham. She is a political theologian who works at the interface of political and social theory and Christian theology, and her books include Towards a Politics of Communion: Catholic Social Teaching in Dark Times (Bloomsbury, 2021) which won the Ratzinger Foundation / Expanded Reason Prize in 2023.

Dr Nick Spencer - Nick is Senior Fellow at Theos. He is the author of The Landscapes of Science and Religion (OUP, 2025), Playing God: Science, Religion and the Future of Humanity (2024), and Magisteria: the entangled histories of science and religion (Oneworld, 2023). Nick is host of the podcast Reading Our Times.