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Stuart_Armstrong comments on Why economics is not a morality tale - Less Wrong Discussion
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Indeed. But often, people think of it as a morality tale.
If we're going to talk about what people often do, I should add that people often warn about economics "not being a morality tale" and then go right on moralizing in different language ("we shouldn't let bondholders being able to stall a recovery...").
Or, a better example, "pollution is bad".
I think if you look at the actual medieval literary genre of morality tales, you'll find that it's specifically in the context of virtue ethics. In fact, the characters are usually embodiments of specific virtues and vices. It strikes my ear very strangely to hear what would presumably be a utilitarian economic argument (regarding stalling the recovery) described as a "morality tale".
I don't get your better example. People only rarely invoke economic morality tale arguments to reach 'pollution is bad'. I've seen public health arguments (pollution kills and causes disease in humans and poisons our food sources). I've seen direct morality arguments (the above plus killing and causing disease in animals and plants). I've seen economic impact arguments (Public health argument put in monetary terms).
I haven't seen an argument that skipped the public health argument, hit the economic impact, then looped from there into morality.
Those are moral arguments.
Exactly. They're not economic arguments at all. It doesn't even touch on economics.