ETHICAL PARADOXES OF THE MODERN ECONOMY: BETWEEN FREE MARKET AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

The modern economy operates under a deep contradiction between the principles of the free market and the demands of social justice. The ideals of individual freedom, competition, and efficiency often clash with societal expectations of equality, moral responsibility, and institutional solidarity. This article presents a philosophical and ethical analysis of these contradictions, viewing them as manifestations of the paradoxical nature of contemporary capitalism. It explores the core forms of moral ambivalence arising from market exchange, resource distribution, and institutional regulation. Emphasis is placed on the limitations of market rationality to capture the conceptual scope of justice, highlighting the need to revise normative foundations of economic order by integrating ethical criteria into the architecture of global and national economies.