The Conscience of Economic Systems

Zera Yacob developed the concept of conscience as an internal guide aligned with reason and justice. Applied to Money and disability, this involves consciously evaluating economic systems and asking: Does this policy serve human dignity? Is this practice reasonable and just? For disabled people, this might mean refusing exploitative sheltered workshop wages, questioning why disability benefits are poverty-level, or demanding transparency from institutions that manage their money. For non-disabled allies, it means examining complicity in ableist economics and withdrawing support from systems that profit from disability exclusion. This concept calls for economic activism rooted in conscience—a willingness to say 'no' to institutions and practices that fail the test of reason and justice, and to build alternatives aligned with dignity. It transforms Money and disability from a personal problem into a matter of collective ethical responsibility.