A History of the Term “Moral Hazard”

Abstract

Abstract The term “moral hazard” when interpreted literally has a strong rhetorical tone, which has been used by stakeholders to influence public attitudes to insurance. In contrast, economists have treated moral hazard as an idiom that has little, if anything, to do with morality. This article traces the genesis of moral hazard, by identifying salient changes in economic thought, which are identified within the medieval theological and probability literatures. The focus then shifts to compare and contrast the predominantly, normative conception of moral hazard found within the insurance‐industry literature with the largely positive interpretations found within the economic literature.