Rational Self-Interest and Economic Justice

Zera Yacob argued that reason, not tradition or authority, must guide human conduct toward mutual benefit. Applied to inequality data, this concept reframes the debate: true self-interest requires economic systems that preserve human dignity for all participants, not just the wealthy. When inequality data shows concentrated wealth alongside social instability, Yacob's framework suggests this reflects irrational systems that undermine everyone's long-term flourishing. His Ethiopian philosophical tradition rejected the false choice between individual gain and collective justice, proposing instead that reasoned analysis reveals how sustainable prosperity depends on dignified conditions for all. This transforms inequality debates from moralistic arguments into rational calculations of systemic coherence and mutual human need.