Abstract: The talk will revolve around the following question: can economics be ethical?  To answer this question, I will focus on three issues, both theoretically and practically relevant, that is: sustainability, development, social justice. I will argue that economics not only can, but above all should be ethical. Otherwise it runs the risks of missing its real goal, that is, the promotion of well-being for people, in a way that assures respect for the environment as well as fairness and sustainability, also in intergenerational terms.