The Cult of the Market: Economic Fundamentalism and Its Discontents"'The Cult of the Market: Economic Fundamentalism and its Discontents' disputes the practical value of the shallow, all-encompassing, dogmatic, economic fundamentalism espoused by policy elites in recent public policy debates, along with their gross simplifications and sacred rules. Economics cannot provide a convincing overarching theory of government action or of social action more generally. Furthermore, mainstream economics fails to get to grips with the economic system as it actually operates. It advocates a more overtly experimental, eclectic and pragmatic approach to policy development which takes more seriously the complex, interdependent, evolving nature of society and the economy. Importantly, it is an outlook that recognises the pervasive influence of asymmetries of wealth, power and information on bargaining power and prospects throughout society. The book advocates a major reform of the teaching of economics"--Provided by publisher. |
From inside the book
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Page 1
... welfare even within the false, crude and positivist understanding of welfare used in economics. There is much more to human welfare and happiness than economic welfare. It means that we should not become slaves to these institutions. In ...
... welfare even within the false, crude and positivist understanding of welfare used in economics. There is much more to human welfare and happiness than economic welfare. It means that we should not become slaves to these institutions. In ...
Page 2
... welfare provision. Some critics see this lack of precision as a fatal flaw, but in doing so reveal their ill-founded essentialist and positivist leanings.6 Rather, definitions should not be judged as right or wrong, but only as helpful ...
... welfare provision. Some critics see this lack of precision as a fatal flaw, but in doing so reveal their ill-founded essentialist and positivist leanings.6 Rather, definitions should not be judged as right or wrong, but only as helpful ...
Page 16
... welfare provision—and to egalitarianism more generally; a reluctance to undertake public borrowing for infrastructure investment; and an excessive government focus on narrow financial considerations at the cost of broader economic and ...
... welfare provision—and to egalitarianism more generally; a reluctance to undertake public borrowing for infrastructure investment; and an excessive government focus on narrow financial considerations at the cost of broader economic and ...
Page 17
... welfare, and the extension of that assumption to government business enterprises); 'deregulation' (the removal of government constraints on business activity imposed originally to serve competing values, including limiting the abuse of ...
... welfare, and the extension of that assumption to government business enterprises); 'deregulation' (the removal of government constraints on business activity imposed originally to serve competing values, including limiting the abuse of ...
Page 24
... welfare'.111 Among this harsh treatment was the splitting up of families. The workhouses themselves were little better than prisons. The conditions inspired Thomas Carlyle, in Past and Present, to compare the workhouses with Dante's ...
... welfare'.111 Among this harsh treatment was the splitting up of families. The workhouses themselves were little better than prisons. The conditions inspired Thomas Carlyle, in Past and Present, to compare the workhouses with Dante's ...
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The Cult of the Market: Economic Fundamentalism and Its Discontents Lee Boldeman No preview available - 2007 |
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action activity analysis approach argues associated assumed assumptions attempt Australian authority basis become behaviour belief Chapter choices claim competition complex concept concern conduct Consequently contemporary contract course created critical culture decisions described disciplines distinction doctrine dominant economic fundamentalism economists effect empirical Enlightenment example existence experience explain fact freedom fundamental historical human idea important Importantly individual influence institutions interests involved justify knowledge language leading limited live logical mathematical means mechanical metaphor moral natural neoclassical economics normative objective organisation particular philosopher physical political positive possible practical principles problems production question rational reality reason recent reflected relationships religious result role rules scientific seen sense shared simply social society stories structure suggests tells theoretical theory things thought tradition truth undermined understanding universal values
Popular passages
Page 123 - As every individual, therefore, endeavours as much as he can both to employ his capital in the support of domestic industry, and so to direct that industry that its produce may be of the greatest value ; every individual necessarily labours to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he con.
Page 63 - In such condition there is no place for industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain, and consequently no culture of the earth, no navigation nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea, no commodious building, no instruments of moving and removing such things as require much force, no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time, no arts, no letters, no society, and, which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death, and the life of man solitary, poor, nasty,...
Page 43 - Language disguises thought. So much so, that from the outward form of the clothing it is impossible to infer the form of the thought beneath it, because the outward form of the clothing is not designed to reveal the form of the body, but for entirely different purposes. The tacit conventions on which the understanding of everyday language depends are enormously complicated.
Page 42 - The Western conception of the person as a bounded, unique, more or less integrated motivational and cognitive universe, a dynamic center of awareness, emotion, judgment, and action organized into a distinctive whole and set contrastively both against other such wholes and against its social and natural background...
Page 86 - The mode of production in material life determines the general character of the social, political and spiritual processes of life. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but, on the contrary, their social existence determines their consciousness.
Page 182 - In every system of morality which I have hitherto met with, I have always remarked that the author proceeds for some time in the ordinary way of reasoning, and establishes the being of a God, or makes observations concerning human affairs ; when of a sudden I am surprised to find that instead of the usual copulations of propositions is and is not, I meet with no proposition that is not connected with an ought or an ought not.
Page 123 - By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention, v Nor is it always the worse for the society that it was no part of it.
Page 115 - The wise and virtuous man is, at all times, willing that his own private interest should be sacrificed to the public interest of his own particular order or society.
Page ix - Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back.
Page 103 - How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it.