From Economics to Political Economy : The Problems, Promises and Solutions of Pluralist Economics

"The discipline of economics has been increasingly criticized for its inability to illuminate the workings of the real world and to provide reliable policy guidance for the major economic and social challenges of our time. A central problem in contemporary economics, and a problem from which many of its other failings flow, is its lack of plurality. By a lack of plurality it is meant that contemporary economics lacks diversity in its methods, theories, epistemology and methodology. It is also meant that economics has become far less interdisciplinary. From Economics to Political Economy offers an explanation as to why economics has become so determinedly non-pluralistic, and also gives considerable attention to exploring and evaluating promising strategies for reform. These strategies include developing a pluralist economics under the label of 'political economy' within other social science departments (such as departments of politics). Along the way the reader will learn about the worldwide student movement seeking greater pluralism in economics, encounter some dramatic case studies in intellectual suppression, gain a fuller sense of the nature of contemporary economics and explore the relationship between economics and other social sciences. This book is of interest to any social scientist, particularly those with interests in economics and politics."-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 8 List of illustrations 10 Acknowledgements 12 Introduction 14 1 The sociology of scientific knowledge 23 2 The changing face of economics 30 3 Economic pluralism and economics as a science 48 4 Orthodoxy, heterodoxy and political economy 62 5 The global student movement for pluralism 82 6 Economics textbooks 101 7 Economics departments 119 8 Reform from within 144 9 Reform from without 160 10 Hybrid strategies 200 11 The market for economic knowledge 210 12 The three purposes of economics 220 Index 238