Book 31

Normative Political Economy

by David P. Levine

Published 23 November 2000

Normative Political Economy explores the criteria we use for judging economic institutions and economic policy. It argues that prevailing criteria lack sufficient depth in their understanding of subjective experience. David Levine's arguments cover topics which include:
* basic needs, equality and justice
* freedom, self-integration and creative living
* the role of the state
* capitalism and the good society


This book explores the way political economy understands human motivation. In it, the author argues that the assumptions typically made by economists regarding want and choice cannot adequately lay a foundation for answering important questions about the design of economic institutions and the appropriate use of markets.
This volume offers an exciting and unusual contribution to political economy, offering a novel integration of the insights of political economy, philosophy, and psychology, applying them to vital foundational issues in political economy.