Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Preface to the Second Edition
- Part I A Historical Juncture
- Part II Getting a Handle on Economics
- Part III Revealing Economic Rationalism's Worldview
- 6 ‘Punters’ versus ‘economic rationalists’
- 7 Contrasting views of human nature
- 8 Contrasting views of how society works
- 9 Constrasting views of the ideal society
- 10 Economic policy and culture
- Part IV Arguing with an Economic Rationalist
- Part V The Future
- Bibliography
- Index
9 - Constrasting views of the ideal society
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 October 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Preface to the Second Edition
- Part I A Historical Juncture
- Part II Getting a Handle on Economics
- Part III Revealing Economic Rationalism's Worldview
- 6 ‘Punters’ versus ‘economic rationalists’
- 7 Contrasting views of human nature
- 8 Contrasting views of how society works
- 9 Constrasting views of the ideal society
- 10 Economic policy and culture
- Part IV Arguing with an Economic Rationalist
- Part V The Future
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Why bother talking about utopias? Why delve into how the world should ideally be? Isn't it a fantasy world removed from reality? In fact, ideal worldviews are essential. They are powerful because they are the benchmark. They are the measuring sticks for deciding if a policy is going to make things better or worse. Many economic rationalists insist that economics does not contain a value-laden ideal about how the world should be. But in the policy world, economic rationalism's ideal is invoked every day. It is invoked as politicians and bureaucrats try to decide whether a policy is in the nation's best interest. When the wider community debates with economic rationalists, it is also arguing about whether a policy will take Australia closer to an unspoken ideal. The gulf between these ideals mirrors the gulf between the electorate and their governments.
There are two key differences between the economic rationalists' and the punters' ideals. First, they disagree on what a good society has to deliver. For economic rationalism it is wealth, and for the punters it is a bundle of issues that make up ‘quality of life’. Second, the two views have very different ideas of justice.
Economic rationalism's ideal
Economic rationalism has one supreme value – material wealth. The aim is to make society as wealthy as possible. It argues that the market will secure the highest possible standard of living for all. In economic rationalism's vision, this ideal society is a grand democracy of consumption.
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- Information
- How to Argue with an EconomistReopening Political Debate in Australia, pp. 76 - 85Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2007