Hi Jerry,
The book sounds interesting; I've requested a desk copy.
This issue--a non-orthodox microeconomics--is one of the areas where
non-Marxist non-orthodox thinkers have done much of the good work. My
'Debunking' is mainly a demolition derby on the conventional theory, but
even there I refer to some of the positive non-neoclassicals. Fred Lee (now
at Kansas Uni) is the modern champion of a non-neoclassical theory of the
firm, while Peter Earl (now at the University of Queensland) is the main
proponent of a non-neoclassical theory of consumer behaviour.
The evolutionary school also has done a lot of good if mainly preliminary
work on the nexus between consumption and production that leads to
technical change in both production techniques and the development of new
products.
As for starting with consumption, I think this is valid enough. I
originally drafted my book to start with production, but then changed it to
start with consumption because (a) this is the aspect of capitalism which
most readers have some conscious experience of these days--not production;
(b) demolishing someone's vision of production (if they've been raised
neoclassical) is a lot easier if you've already shown that the demand side
of things is dysfunctional.
Cheers,
Steve
At 03:40 AM 6/10/01 Sunday, you wrote:
>From: "Gerald_A_Levy" <Gerald_A_Levy@email.msn.com>
>To: <ope-l@galaxy.csuchico.edu>
>Subject: [OPE-L:5845] Microeconomics
>Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2001 13:40:00 -0400
>X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400
>X-OriginalArrivalTime: 09 Jun 2001 17:37:10.0859 (UTC)
>FILETIME=[D008F9B0:01C0F10A]
>Reply-To: ope-l@galaxy.csuchico.edu
>Sender: owner-ope-l@galaxy.csuchico.edu
>
>In the mail today, I received an advertisement for a forthcoming book on
>microeconomics:
>
>* _Microeconomics: Neoclassical and Institutionalist Perspectives on
> Economic Behavior_ by
>
> Susan Himmelweit, Roberto Simonetti and Andrew Trigg.
>
>Andrew T, of course, is a member of OPE-L. Sue, as well, is well known to
>a lot of listmembers (particularly Simon).
>
>I'll reproduce most of the announcement below (with extra comments that
>are bracketed and capitalized) , but I have some questions:
>
>* The advertisement for the book refers to neoclassical, institutionalist,
>and evolutionary theories: what about *MARXIST* microeconomic theories?
>
>* More generally (i.e. not specifically re this book) who has been working in
>recent years on the development of Marxist perspectives on microeconomics?
>
>* Does anyone think that Marxist political economy only concerns
>macroeconomics?
>
>In solidarity, Jerry
>
>PS: in the same mailing, there was an announcement for the July 7-8 Third
>Annual
>Conference of the Association for Heterodox Economics (several listmembers are
>included in the speakers list) and an announcement for the journal _Economic
>Issues_.
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> MICROECONOMICS
> Neoclassical and Institutionalist Perspectives on Economic Behavior
>
> Susan Himmelweit, Roberto Simonetti and Andrew Trigg
>
>
>o Do consumers really want what they buy? [GOOD QUESTION!, JL]
>
>o Does the stock market hinder investment in new technologies?
>
>o Why do women do less well than men in the labour market?
>
>o Is the market economy an efficient system for allocating resources?
>
>_Microeconomics_ is designed to encourage students to think critically about
>economics as a discipline in which there are competing perspectives
>[INCLUDING MARXIST PERSPECTIVES!, JL] rather than one single 'right'
>approach to solving economic problems [SOUNDS RELATIVISTIC. SOME
>PERSPECTIVES ARE 'WRONG', RIGHT?, JL]. A variety of theories,
>both orthodox and less orthodox [WHAT ABOUT ANTI-ORTHODOX?, JL],
>are clearly illustrated using examples and case studies from around the
>world. Appropriate techniques and concepts are introduced, in a way
>accessible to those without any previous mathematical background, using
>interactive distance learning methods developed at The Open University.
>
>_Microeconomics_ is an accessible introduction to intermediate microeconomics,
>ideal for single honours Economics students or non-specialist students who
>would
>like to learn about the fundamentals of microeconomics in a critical and
>evaluative way.
>
>Susan Himmelweit, Roberto Simonetti and Andrew Trigg all teach economics at
>The Open University.
>
>Contents:
>List of contributors. Preface. Acknowledgements. 1. Introduction: Neoclassical
>and Institutionalist Perspectives PART 1: CONSUMPTION 2. Consumer
>Sovereignty 3. Consumer Dependency 4. Measuring Welfare: Are People
>Better Of? PART 2: HOUSEHOLDS 5. The Household in the Economy
>6. Decision Making in Households 6. Decision Making in Households 7. Caring
>for Children PART 3: FIRMS [BUT WHY BEGIN WITH CONSUMPTION, THEN
>HOUSEHOLDS, THEN FIRMS? ISN'T THAT THE NC ORDER?, JL]
>8. Modeling the Firm. 9. Contracts, Information and the Firm's Behavior
>10. Firms and Efficiency 11. A Strategic View of Competition PART 4: LABOUR
>12. The Firm and the Labour Market 13. Discrimination and Segmentation
>14. Trust and Control: Labour Use Within the Firm PART 5: TECHNOLOGY AND
>FINANCE 15. Technological Change 16. Evolutionary Theories of Technological
>and Economic Change 17. Financial Systems and Innovation PART 6: MARKETS
>18. Competitive General Equilibrium 19. Social Markets. References. Index.
>
>ISBN 1861525397. Publishing June-01. 592 pp.
>
>For inspection copy or to order (I'm omitting the order form and snail
>mail address,
>JL), contact Martha Abbott
><mailto:martha.abbott@thomsonlearning.co.uk>martha.abbott@thomsonlearning.co.uk
>http://ww.thomsonlearning.co.uk
>(I OUGHT TO GET A FREE COPY FOR TYPING ALL OF THIS!, JL)
>
Home Page: http://www.debunking-economics.com
http://bus.uws.edu.au/steve-keen/
http://www.stevekeen.net
Dr. Steve Keen
Senior Lecturer
Economics & Finance
Campbelltown, Building 11 Room 30,
School of Economics and Finance
UNIVERSITY WESTERN SYDNEY
LOCKED BAG 1797
PENRITH SOUTH DC NSW 1797
Australia
s.keen@uws.edu.au 61 2 4620-3016 Fax 61 2 4626-6683
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