or are the economists and industrialists going to lead us to extinction as a species?
2007-01-31 06:33:11 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Economics
Economics doesn't lead the world; it attempts to explain what happened, and expands on what is likely to happen under slightly different conditions, so we know what is likely to happen in similar cases in the future.
The evolution of economic thought clearly shows this.
For example before the oil shock in the 70s, the concept of cost inflation didn;t really cross the mind of most people; hence the wrong policies implemented by knee-jerk reactions: 'inflation? this means increase interest rates to slow down the economy!'
So I would think humans have to become more ethical first, then economics will develop accordingly. I'm not saying that there is no such thing as economics of ethics, or ethical economics, I am saying that it's not mainstream, and will only become so if people become ethical. Economics doesn't change people; people change economics.
As to whether economists will lead us to extinction, the answer is no. Economists can't do that. They are followers, not leaders, so that wouldn't be possible.
As to whether industrialists will lead us to extinction, I think that if anybody would lead us to extinction, it would be us. In most contries, individuals have a say via the ballot box. And we have the power of our spending. If we care about say the destruction of forests for paper, we can buy only recycled paper, or paper from managed forests. This would make paper from wild destruction unprofitable, and that would force industrialists to change their behaviour.
Again, it is us, as individuals, each doing his or her bit based on what he or she believes. We can influence Industrialists to do what we want them to, and economists will follow and develop neat theories.
The leap in awareness has to be within us as individuals, and drive us to action.
If we do end up extinct as a species, we can only blame ourselves.
2007-01-31 15:06:47 · answer #1 · answered by ekonomix 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Awareness is an evolutionary process and takes plenty of time to develop.
Economics is not a science. While there are various types of economic models, there is no absolute paradigm that renders all the other models obsolete. Sure, communism has all but bitten the dust, but elsewhere debate still rages about the relative merits of total deregulation or "managed" economies.
There is nothing ethical about economics in reality. Governments occasionally pay lip service to it (as well as supposedly ethical foreign policies), but in reduction economics is all about "Are we making money? If not, why not? What do we have to change to get to a point where we balance the books and start turning a profit?"
Our extinction will be evolutionary.
2007-01-31 08:02:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hellooo!
There is no such thing. Human awareness does (:b)
not leap. It is rather a very slow awakening process.
And it's not economists and industrialists, or any other "NORMAL" human being
who will lead us to extinction.
2007-01-31 06:45:56 · answer #3 · answered by ♫ayayay♫ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the diversity gang will take the weapons developed by the White population and hand them over to savages one step out of the jungle, the result will be destruction as never before witnessed.
2007-01-31 11:27:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would be nice, the latter is more likely.
2007-01-31 07:44:16 · answer #5 · answered by Foot Foot 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No and No.
2007-01-31 06:39:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋