A New Education for a New Economy: From Human Capital to Human Flourishing


Book Description

Providing an in-depth, novel analysis of education’s role in today’s economy by scrutinizing its theoretical underpinnings, this volume critiques the suitability of the current, dominant economic framework for education and for shaping educational policymaking worldwide. Critically examining the history and philosophy that underpin our present societal understanding of the link between economics and education, the book argues for an urgent redefining of education’s role in the economy based on intellectual foundations that significantly differ from our current, dominant conceptions. Across seven chapters, the book posits that the adoption of a new philosophical framework, the reshaping of economic and educational aims, and the adjustment of our educational system are each necessary to better promote human flourishing. Ultimately providing a platform to entirely reconsider the idea that the primary aim of education is to serve the economic system – in particular, economic growth – this book will appeal to scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students studying educational policy, the philosophy of education, and the history of education more broadly. Education policymakers and academics studying education and the economy may also find this book of interest.




A Short History of Ethics and Economics


Book Description

'This is an important and timely work that addresses the moral crisis of contemporary economics. Alvey not only provides an excellent narrative of classical Greek economics, but his arguments are aimed at restoring the central role that ethics played in the long tradition of economic thought. This is an invaluable scholarly resource for academics and students of political economy as well as the history of political thought.' Benjamin Wong, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Arising from a disenchantment with mainstream economics a dissatisfaction that is widespread today A Short History of Economics and Ethics sketches the emergence and decline of the ethical tradition of economics and the crisis of modern economics. In doing so, James Alvey focuses on four of the leading ancient Greek thinkers: Socrates, Xenophon, Plato and Aristotle. The author uses insights from Amartya Sen's Capabilities approach as well as other sources to retrieve the ethical tradition of economics. Five aspects of this tradition which seem to lie outside of mainstream economics are identified: an ethical methodology; some notion of a just price; an understanding that ethical motivations are relevant to human action; a rich understanding of human well-being; and some notion of distributive justice related to human well-being. Creating a forum for further debate and research opportunity, this book will appeal to students, scholars and historians of economic thought, as well as to all those interested in the intersection of ethics with economics.




Economic Methodology, History and Pluralism


Book Description

Economic Methodology, History and Pluralism: Expanding Economic Thought to Meet Contemporary Challenges pays tribute to Emeritus Professor Sheila Dow (University of Stirling, Scotland). This volume focusses on the contributions of Dow to economic methodology, pluralism and the history of economic thought. These explorations serve to underpin her ideas and theories on macroeconomics, banking and money. Bringing together an impressive panel of contributors, the chapters in this work examine Dow’s writings on structured pluralism and schools of thought, meanings of open and closed systems, reflections on the relationship between economics and other sciences (both social and natural), the methodology of behavioural economics, as well as the political economy of the Scottish school of thought. The book challenges the foundations of the mainstream economics paradigm in a novel and holistic manner, seeking to advance thinking across Dow’s favoured discipline. The essays in this collection provide thought-provoking reading for advanced students and scholars of economic methodology, the history of economic thought, heterodox economics and political economy. The book will also be valued by the economics profession at large, as it contains important elements and ideas concerning ethics, methodology and tolerance within economics as a discipline and as a profession.




Comparisons in Economic Thought


Book Description

The idea of comparing rewards with others has a long and persistent presence in the social sciences, and can be found in many psychological, social and managerial theories. In economics, this idea can be traced back through the works of a substantial number of eminent thinkers, from Genovesi and Hume, to Smith, Ricardo, Marx, and Mill, through to Veblen, Pigou, and Keynes. In the last two decades the notion of social comparisons has started to appear more frequently in economic literature, especially in the subfield of happiness research. There are also signs that the notion has resurfaced in some strands of literature such as positional concerns, social identity models and social capital theory. Comparisons in Economic Thought offers a uniquely comprehensive account of how social comparisons have featured in the history of economic thought. This book provides an assessment as to why social comparisons have been dismissed by mainstream economists and considers their current and future usefulness. This volume is suitable for those who are interested and study history of economic thought, economic methodology and History of Consumer Theory, as well as Rational Choice Theory.




Economics and Psychology


Book Description

With the rise of modern behavioural economics and increasing interest in subjective well-being research, the question of the relationship between economics and psychology has again been brought to the fore. Drawing on the history of economic thought, this book explores the historical relationship between the two disciplines. The book opens with a description of the primary philosophical foundations for early arguments supporting the interplay between economics and psychology. Both classical economists and other prominent pre-marginalists writers are examined in this context. The ensuing discussion explores the marginalist revolution and how well-known economists like Jevons and Edgeworth, influenced by pre-marginalist writers, incorporated ideas and findings from psychology. The book then describes how, following the so-called “Paretian turn”, early neoclassical economists attempted to expel psychological concepts from economic analysis. Combined with the increasing formalization, the influence of the classical physics scientific ideal, and the impact of positivism, this methodological stance became dominant in modern mainstream economics. In contrast, non-mainstream traditions continued to acknowledge the significance of psychology in their economic analysis. This tradition includes inter alia the so-called old behavioural economics, mainly of Herbert Simon and George Katona. The revival of psychology in economics came mainly with the emergence and development of new behavioural economics as a distinct branch during the last few decades. The trend was further assisted by the emergence of the economics of subjective well-being. Finally, the book briefly explores the state of the current debate concerning the relationship between economics and psychology. This book will be invaluable reading to anyone interested in the history of the study of economics and psychology, as well as of great interest to students and scholars of history of economic thought, psychological economics, behavioural economics and the history and philosophy of social sciences.




The Experience Economy


Book Description

This text seeks to raise the curtain on competitive pricing strategies and asserts that businesses often miss their best opportunity for providing consumers with what they want - an experience. It presents a strategy for companies to script and stage the experiences provided by their products.




The Great Transformation


Book Description

'One of the most powerful books in the social sciences ever written. ... A must-read' Thomas Piketty 'The twentieth century's most prophetic critic of capitalism' Prospect Karl Polanyi's landmark 1944 work is one of the earliest and most powerful critiques of unregulated markets. Tracing the history of capitalism from the great transformation of the industrial revolution onwards, he shows that there has been nothing 'natural' about the market state. Instead of reducing human relations and our environment to mere commodities, the economy must always be embedded in civil society. Describing the 'avalanche of social dislocation' of his time, Polanyi's hugely influential work is a passionate call to protect our common humanity. 'Polanyi's vision for an alternative economy re-embedded in politics and social relations offers a refreshing alternative' Guardian 'Polanyi exposes the myth of the free market' Joseph Stiglitz With a new introduction by Gareth Dale







Essays in Contemporary Economics


Book Description

This book is a collection of original essays grouped into four parts under the headings “Greece and European integration,” “Issues in the Methodology of Economics,” “Institutions and the Free Market Economy,” and “Insights for Today from Ancient Greece.” The essays appeal to both researchers in the corresponding fields of knowledge and also to policy makers who are looking for ideas and approaches to confront present day challenges. In particular, given the present state of turmoil in the European Union, the international economy, and democracies in general, most of the essays offer new insights for economic and social policies.




Macroeconomic Modelling, Economic Policy and Methodology


Book Description

Demonstrating that there are (superior) alternatives to the modern macroeconomic mainstream and its DSGE (dynamic stochastic general equilibrium) models, this book presents the cutting edge in macroeconomic modelling, economic policy, and methodology from the perspective of heterodox economic thinking. The first part of the book explores methodological issues, advocating for a stronger ethical consideration in macroeconomics and for the adoption of a strategy of pluralism to ensure that macroeconomic theory is capable of adapting to real-world issues. The second part highlights recent trends in empirical Stock-Flow Consistent models by collecting a group of the most well-developed empirical models of five different economies: the Danish, the Dutch, the French, the Italian, and the Argentinian models. In all five cases, the models are used to discuss various policy aspects of the individual economies. Finally, the book explores issues of macroeconomic policy which are largely neglected by mainstream economists including financial (in)stability and macro imbalances. The book emphasizes the need for investigating sectoral balances, which are crucial elements for investigating imbalances from the heterodox perspective. This book will be of significant interest to students and scholars of macroeconomics, economic modelling, economic methodology and heterodox economics more broadly.