Special section – The moral legitimatisation of money and debt in consumer society

Abstract

This introduction to the special section brings into focus how little interest the marketing and consumer research academies have shown in money and debt: both philosophically and historically. When recognised explicitly, money and debt continue to be treated largely as 'givens' – epiphenomena morally embedded in consumer culture and rarely questioned. We assess how this situation has come about in these fields' theoretical lineages and anticipate future directions of inquiry. We also introduce our three contributions and weave them into the narrative of our story.