On the alleged death of homo economicus

If I am to take Nick Hanauer’s[1] advice and kill off homo economicus then what I fear I’ll be left with is – all that someone of a liberal-humanist bent can ask, I suppose – homo impotenticus. A person unpurposed: because I am not alone, because I am not reified individual, because I am part … Continue reading On the alleged death of homo economicus →

Our economic selves; the real enemy?

A question for any reader: does the argument below [introductory paragraph] make sense to you - as proposition, obviously, not fully reasoned essay... Naomi Klein argues in her 2017 No is not enough—among other things— that the Trump presidency is 'a naked corporate takeover' of the democratic process; corporations are 'doing what all top … Continue reading Our economic selves; the real enemy? →

Ch 5: Human nature — The hierarchy of needs

A bit from the chapter I'm writing: Capitalism plays to what is most insidious in human ‘nature’: competitiveness, acquisitiveness, instant gratification, tribalism. It’s fundamental mandates, the profit motive; economies of scale; the price mechanism; inelasticity of demand… allow this game. The game derives from its character. Capitalism is not programmed for altruism. It is, and … Continue reading Ch 5: Human nature — The hierarchy of needs →