Reorienting Economics (Economics As Social Theory)

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Another blow against orthodoxy

The reality of reorienting economics

Economics and Realism: An Innocent Bystander's Guide

Lawson, Economics and Ontology

Reorienting Economics: A Thoughtful Read

Reorienting Economics (Economics As Social Theory)
Tony Lawson
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0415253357

Book Description

This eagerly anticipated new book from Tony Lawson contends that economics can profit from a more explicit concern with ontology (enquiry into the nature of existence) than has been its custom. By admitting that economics is not exactly a picture of health at the moment, Lawson hopes that we can move away from the bafflingly intransigent belief that economics is at its core reliant upon mathematical modelling. This maths-envy is the reason why economics is in a state of such disarray.

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Another blow against orthodoxy.......2005-01-30

There are cracks in the foundation and the neoclassicists are getting nervous. The twin pillars of modern economic theory, "infinite economic growth" and "infinite substitutability of resources", have shown to be untenable positions that lack historical and empirical foundations. Mainstream economists dazzle each other with byzantine hyper-complex mathematical models that have become disconnected from real-world variables. Neoclasical economists have now become vulnerable to research showing economic activity inextricably linked to much larger ecological patterns. The notion of "economic growth" when viewed in the context of thermodynamic energy flow and population ecology now shows a pattern of geometrically increasing resource depletion not "growth" in any sort of economic sense. What is viewed by mainstream economists as growth is the increase in market availability provided by population growth which in turn relies on ever increasing amounts of the two most critical resources-water and oil. There are no viable substitutes for either of these. Once the tremendous energy efficiencies resulting from the transition to hydrocarbon fuels are factored into econometric models along with the externalization of industrial waste to the commons we now see that what has been modeled as growth is in reality decay. The energy effiencies gained during industrialization are subject to the process of diminished marginal utility and are steadily being lost over time. When combined with the unfactored costs of cleaning up industrial waste along with other unfactored variables associated with urbanization it now becoming apparent that there has been no growth only a steady accumulation of material goods within a miniscule community which in turn is embedded in the much broader pattern of natural resource consumption. Lawson and other are finally exposing the myths of modern neoclassical economics as nothing more than a rationalization of mindless selfish consumption.

The reality of reorienting economics.......2004-11-18

Lawson's new book has been the object of a rather unfair criticism, ie, that 'there is nothing new, creative, original, innovative or novel in his latest book'. I do not agree with this judgement as I see 'Reorienting Economics' as part of a process that began with 'Economics and Reality'. Although Lawson relies on the main foundations of what is known as 'critical realism', there are many original contributions in his new book, and even amendments of certain issues that reflect evolution of Lawson's thought. This is part of an intellectual process that does not show signs of stagnation at all, on the contrary, it evolves.
Instead of pointing out some of these changes, and what seems to me the obvious (and apparent) novelties of the book (which any potential reader might simply corroborate contrasting the contents of both books), I would like to reflect on a deeper issue, which is extremely relevant to understand Lawson's intentions. When he insists that Economics is not in a very healthy situation, I believe that Lawson has a point worth considering. There is nothing wrong with the predominance of one method of doing economics, what has been labelled as 'mainstream economics'. But when this stance is systematically enforced, with no regard to other disciplines, we are facing a different story. Some movements and reactions at different universities in their Economics Faculties (including Harvard and Cambridge) are a simple reflection of this reality. Economics is an offspring of political economy. Currently its teaching has lost political economy's multidicisplinary character. Today Economics has become a discipline that could be worshipped as the mother of social sciences. Those devout and pious economist know what to do. In that sense I believe Lawson raises an important issue pointing out that Economics has sacrificed reality for the sake of formal modelling.
Of course there has always been a divide between 'ortodox' and 'heterodox' economists. But today this is not merely a political stance, it is simply on how economists approach economics. The former have a clear approach which emphasises standard micro, macro, econometrics plus all the necessary mathematical tools. But mathematics can become the method, a master that can slave Economics and its original realtionship with human reality. Then we face a problem. The latter group includes institutionalists, historians of economic thought, behaviour and experimental economists, etc.
Pluralism is a healthy situation in any intellectual discipline, therefore Lawson's attempt to recover what Economics is all about, is a very welcome contribution.

Economics and Realism: An Innocent Bystander's Guide .......2004-11-17

Tony makes an important argument in this work, and one that bears repeating: that, put plainly, and in rank simplification, mainstream economics serves to mask (socio-economic) reality if only in its very ignorance of it. The best check to the pretensions of this pseudo-science is , therefore, Reality itself, perhaps even more than elaborate theoretical critiques. Radicals and socialists may well chafe at the simpliste nature of the Argument but nonetheless it is a powerful argument, even more potent for being quite irrefutable.
Now the Realist Argument is not the only Argument to make, nor is it the Last Argument of its genre, nor is it entirely an original argument in the history of the sciences, but it is of import in this neo-classical/neo-liberal world which takes it methodology (when aware of such things at all) from Friedman's notorious irrealist critique of yesteryear which blithely scoffed at realism as a non-issue. Whilst these hegemons may never read, or understand , Tony's book the knowledgeable few amongst even their ilk (and they do exist) will know that their metatheoretical hegemony is not quite complete. And , in this age of their triumphal Unilateralism, even such brand of minimalism may well be worthy of consideration.
I am not saying that Tony's work will feed the hungry, empower women, and/or save the rain-forest, which I would personally consider far more worthy as far as ideals go : but we are speaking here of economics as it lives in the Ivory Tower (more specifically , the Ivy League Tower) where argument and debate are the tools of the trade. In that rarefied world, Tony is about the only one making the Realist argument seriously and nobody, frankly, does it better. I would, therefore, unreservedly recommend his work to any one interested in a realist methodology for the sciences. His Cambridge Realist Seminar has attracted the attention of many scholars , even from the Mainstream: and his new book will carry that Conversation even further. I suspect that even those whose ire is easily aroused by the Realist use of the Oh-So-very-Un-Anglo-Saxonish terms like 'ontology' may yet, upon fair reflection, grant that philosophy and method are legitimate fields for debate, even in a discipline that portrays itself rather vainly (in a double sense!) as a natural science. The arena of theoretical struggles has, necessarily, many corners, cusps, and corridors and we would be rash to privilege some and scorn others.

Lawson, Economics and Ontology.......2004-11-14

Thousands of books have been written since the mid 20th century dedicated to exploring orthodox or mainstream economics. Little more than a handful of these books have reflected upon the philosophical and methodological underpinnings of economics. The result is not only that orthodox economics has marginalised heterodox alternatives and come to dominate economics departments in universities around the world, but also the impression has been created that discussion of philosophy and methodology is simply a wasteful distraction from `doing' economics.

Orthodox economics has not benefited from this splendid isolation: quite the opposite. The absence of serious criticism has allowed a body of economic theory to develop that has extremely weak predictive, explanatory and descriptive power. Indeed orthodox economics may well have become the 21st century equivalent of the flat earth theory - something, incidentally, that many (astute) non-economists have known for a long time.

Occasionally, however, books come along that are not afraid to say `the Emperor has no clothes.' Tony Lawson's Reorienting Economics (significantly advancing the ideas of Economics and Reality) says just this. Because iconoclastic books like this challenge deeply ingrained habits of thought, they instil some people with a sense of anxiety, and are often dismissed with a range of rhetorical devices - especially in book reviews where cheap, and often superficial, shots can be passed off as good coin. The author is accused, variously, of failing to understand the technicalities of the subject, misunderstanding theorist X, failing to discuss theory Y or approach Z and so on. This seems to be the unfortunate response of some of the reviewers of Lawsons' books. No doubt Lawson does not understand everything, or everyone, and he certainly does not discuss every theory, theorist, or approach: but then again, who does.

What makes Lawson's work stand out is that he introduces the issue of ontology to the subject matter of economics. Ontology is the study of being; of the fundamental structure or components of a domain of reality; of the general kinds of things that exist. Lawson's books are concerned to elaborate the basic structure of the socio-economic domain specifically. His purpose is to draw out the implications of ontological theorising for all other forms of social theorising, including economics.

This, however, is not how orthodox economists proceed. Instead, they start with a kind of `off the shelf' fixed set of (mathematical) tools and simply presume, quite unreflexively, that it will be everywhere appropriate to socio-economic analysis. Lawson's argument is as clear as it is bold: this particular tool box is mostly inappropriate for investigating the socio-economic world and is certainly not of universal validity. Researchers in economics, typically, end up with a set of tools that predict, explain, and describe little or nothing about the way real (as opposed to fictitious) socio-economic practices actually work.

In Reorienting Economics Lawson urges us not to follow orthodoxy. Instead, he encourages us to embrace ontological investigation, that is, to proceed by enquiring into the way socio-economic reality is. And here economists have much to learn from other disciplines outside of economics - Lawson, in fact, refers to his oeuvre as `social theory.' We should strive to include in our tool box all those techniques that have the potential for uncovering, illuminating and explaining socio-economic phenomena. Following the path sketched in Lawson's books does not mean that we merely describe reality, but it does mean that we have to take the process of abstraction very seriously. Indeed Lawson is careful to differentiate legitimate abstraction from the illegitimate process of making knowingly false assumptions for no other purpose than making possible the deduction of outcomes from initial conditions. There is, of course, no guarantee that following Lawson's suggestions will lead to a solid understanding of socio-economic practices - there is an awful lot of work to be done to get from ontology to theory and practice. Yet the orthodox route, proceeding as it does on the basis of knowingly fictitious theories and models of reality, seems as the outset, doomed to fail.

If you suspect that orthodox economics lacks predictive, explanatory, and descriptive power, if you are interested in why this might be the case, and if you are interested in joining those heterodox economists engaged in the search for a plausible alternative, then Reorienting Economics (and Economics and Reality) should be on your bookshelf.

Reorienting Economics: A Thoughtful Read.......2004-11-10

I must say that I was quite surprised to read Herbert Gintis's negative review of Tony Lawson's recent book Reorienting Economics (2003) on this website. Especially puzzling is Gintis's impression that the book is simply a rewrite of Lawson's earlier book Economics and Reality (1997) with no new material added. I simply cannot explain how Gintis could have missed so much I found in the book that is new. The only possible explanation is that he must have an edition different from my own; perhaps the one he bought in the US does not have the same content as the one I bought in the UK when the book first came out.

So let me tell the readers of this Amazon reaction line about all of the new material that was in my version of Lawson's book. Let's see: The new book extends Lawson's original ontological analysis (distinguishing among different forms of closed systems, as well as including a transcendental deduction of his conception of social reality) and an account of contrast explanation (tying it in with dialectical reasoning). The book covers such new ground as the role of metaphor in social theorizing, the nature and utility of evolutionary economics, the possibility of borrowing from Biology, the relevance to social theorizing of mimetics, the nature of economics itself, and whether it can qualify as a separate social science. It also provides a lucid account of the current heterodox traditions, careful to identify what constitutes them as heterodox and also what distinguishes them from each other. In that regard, I think that Lawson makes a reasonable attempt at resolving what has been perceived by some as incoherence within Post Keynesianism. Moreover, he indicates ways in which tensions within Feminist projects of epistemology and emancipation might be overcome. The latter analysis includes a novel interpretation and defense of feminist "standpoint theorizing" as well as a contribution assessing the nature of what he calls "sustainable emancipatory projects." Further, in addressing the project of (old) Institutionalism, Lawson makes, in my opinion, a major contribution to the interpretation of Thorstein Veblen. There were things there that I just had never realized before in my reading of Veblen. And further still, the book contains what I consider to be a very significant contribution to the history of formalistic economics (presented in the form of an illustration of Lawson's extremely important and novel model of evolutionary change elaborated in an earlier chapter). As far as I can tell, the coverage and exposition of these issues are entirely new to Reorienting Economics.

So let me warn those of you who plan to purchase Lawson's latest book (and I do encourage you to do so): make sure that you get the one that I did, and not the one purchased by Gintis. Mine has all the new stuff; he should ask for his money back!

Reorienting the Cooperative Structure in Selected Eastern European Countries: Case-Study on Hungary (Central and Eastern Europe Agriculture in Trans)

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Reorienting the Cooperative Structure in Selected Eastern European Countries: Case-Study on Hungary (Central and Eastern Europe Agriculture in Trans)
Janos Juhasz
Manufacturer: Food & Agriculture Org
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9251034338

Reorienting Accounting Education: Reports on the Environment, Professoriate, and Curriculum of Accounting (Accounting Education Series)

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Reorienting Accounting Education: Reports on the Environment, Professoriate, and Curriculum of Accounting (Accounting Education Series)

Manufacturer: Amer Accounting Assn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Reorienting Chinese Development in the Twenty-First Century: Is Xiaokang Socialism Possible? (Routledge Studies on the Chinese Economy)

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Reorienting Chinese Development in the Twenty-First Century: Is Xiaokang Socialism Possible? (Routledge Studies on the Chinese Economy)
Chun Lin
Manufacturer: Routledge
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Binding: Hardcover

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Tiger by the Tail: Reorienting Biodiversity Conservation & Development in Indonesia

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Tiger by the Tail: Reorienting Biodiversity Conservation & Development in Indonesia
Charles Victor Barber
Manufacturer: World Resources Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Reorienting Economics.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Economic Issues

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Reorienting Economics.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Economic Issues
Paul D. Bush
Manufacturer: Association for Evolutionary Economics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008431BS
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Economic Issues, published by Association for Evolutionary Economics on September 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1951 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Reorienting Economics.(Book Review)
Author: Paul D. Bush
Publication: Journal of Economic Issues (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2004
Publisher: Association for Evolutionary Economics
Volume: 38 Issue: 3 Page: 857(5)

Article Type: Book Review

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Reorienting energy to accentuate the positive: a comprehensive plan for U.S. economic growth.(Daniel R. Gerkin, National Mining Association): An article from: Executive Speeches

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Reorienting energy to accentuate the positive: a comprehensive plan for U.S. economic growth.(Daniel R. Gerkin, National Mining Association): An article from: Executive Speeches
Daniel R. Gerkin
Manufacturer: Executive Speaker Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008IE63G
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Executive Speeches, published by Executive Speaker Co. on October 1, 2001. The length of the article is 3739 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Reorienting energy to accentuate the positive: a comprehensive plan for U.S. economic growth.(Daniel R. Gerkin, National Mining Association)
Author: Daniel R. Gerkin
Publication: Executive Speeches (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2001
Publisher: Executive Speaker Co.
Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Page: 30(6)

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Reorienting for Sustainable Development: Support for a National Science and Technology Policy.: An article from: Journal of International Affairs

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Reorienting for Sustainable Development: Support for a National Science and Technology Policy.: An article from: Journal of International Affairs
Candice S. Levine
Manufacturer: Columbia University School of International Public Affairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of International Affairs, published by Columbia University School of International Public Affairs on March 22, 1998. The length of the article is 4741 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: US science and technology policy is underfunded and uncoordinated. Many scientific advances are made either through short-term private commercial interests or large academic institutions. Although the relationship between research and development is widely acknowledged, environmental problems have not received appropriate attention. Sustainable development must become the priority when a national framework for science technology is developed.

Citation Details
Title: Reorienting for Sustainable Development: Support for a National Science and Technology Policy.
Author: Candice S. Levine
Publication: Journal of International Affairs (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1998
Publisher: Columbia University School of International Public Affairs
Volume: 51 Issue: 2 Page: 675(1)

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Reorienting Economics

Manufacturer: ROUTLEDGE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H979TE

Reorienting research in agricultural economics

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Reorienting research in agricultural economics
Edwin Griswold Nourse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0008CBB9Y

Book Description

Navajo peacemaking is one of the most renowned restorative justice programs in the world. Neither mediation nor alternative dispute resolution, it has been called a "horizontal system of justice" because all participants are treated as equals with the purpose of preserving ongoing relationships and restoring harmony among involved parties. In peacemaking there is no coercion, and there are no "sides." No one is labeled the offender or the victim, the plaintiff or the defendant. This is a book about peacemaking as it exists in the Navajo Nation today, describing its origins, history, context, and contributions with an eye toward sharing knowledge between Navajo and European-based criminal justice systems. It provides practitioners with information about important aspects of peacemaking—such as structure, procedures, and outcomes—that will be useful for them as they work with the Navajo courts and the peacemakers. It also offers outsiders the first one-volume overview of this traditional form of justice. The collection comprises insights of individuals who have served within the Navajo Judicial Branch, voices that authoritatively reflect peacemaking from an insider's point of view. It also features an article by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and includes contributions from other scholars who, with the cooperation of the Navajo Nation, have worked to bring a comparative perspective to peacemaking research. In addition, some chapters describe the personal journey through which peacemaking takes the parties in a dispute, demonstrating that its purpose is not to fulfill some abstract notion of Justice but to restore harmony so that the participants are returned to good relations. Navajo Nation Peacemaking seeks to promote both peacemaking and Navajo common law development. By establishing the foundations of the Navajo way of natural justice and offering a vision for its future, it shows that there are many lessons offered by Navajo peacemaking for those who want to approach old problems in sensible new ways."

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An anthology of essays offering insights from individuals who have served within the Navajo Judicial Branch .......2005-10-14

Navajo Nation Peacemaking: Living Traditional Justice is an anthology of essays offering insights from individuals who have served within the Navajo Judicial Branch and practiced the restorative justice program of Navajo peacemaking, as well as articles by other scholars, including Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, offering a comparative perspective. Navajo peacemaking has earned renown as a "horizontal system of justice", in which all participants are treated as equals with the foremost mission of preserving ongoing relationships and restoring harmony. There is no coercion, no "sides", no labels of plaintiff or defendant. Essays discuss the history of Navajo peacemaking, its concepts and practices, assessments of the model, and conclusions as to what can be learned from this system of justice. Especially recommended for legal philosophy shelves, as the ideas within contain the potential to reform and revolutionize flaws in modern mainstream culture dispute resolution systems, whether on a governmental or private level.

An anthology of essays offering insights from individuals who have served within the Navajo Judicial Branch .......2005-10-14

Book Description

In today's South, urban centers are prospering while many rural communities and areas with high proportions of black residents have fallen behind. This comprehensive volume takes a hard look at the problem. The author examines the patterns of prosperity and poverty in the South from the 1950s through the present, focusing mainly on the period after 1970. The rural populations have an abundance of people with few skills, little education, and little hope of entering the economic mainstream of American society. They are not in line for the promise of the urban "new South" which has been enveloped in an industrial renaissance. A wide range of federal, state, and local data has been used in this study. It explores changes in social and economic well-being and opportunity across labor market groups. Race and sex subpopulations are given particular attention. Two Sides to the Sunbelt begins with a look at how the present situation came into being. Such issues as economic stagnation and the serious problems of health, education, and welfare are addressed. The industrial and occupational climate today is examined next. The author closely ties issues on economic development to social justice as he concludes his study of this unbalanced situation.

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Good primer...30 years ago

not bad

From Selling to Managing: Guidelines for the First Time-Sales Manager
Ronald Brown
Manufacturer: American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Good primer...30 years ago.......2001-10-24

As a first time sales manager, I was immediately drawn to the title of the book. After reading it, I was disappointed that the published date was simply the most recent edition date. The core of the book was written decades ago.

As a result, other than some very general good advice about a manager's job being to coach and develop sales talent, the book is not useful. To give you an example, it goes into detail about keeping index cards and how a real go-getter salesperson will always be seen in a phone booth contacting clients!

I will research the original publication date of business books more carefully next time.

not bad.......2000-03-25

i had read this book 6 years ago when i was an mba student taking a class on sales management. i consult now for a large consumer group company in the gulf for their marketing and sales group. i thus decided to re-acquaint myself with the book and im glad i did. the ideas and suggestions in the book were helpful in promoting ideas to the first time sales managers. i suggested that the company read the book to get a general idea of the complexities of promoting sales people to management positions. especially on the part of sales force appraisals, the objective is for the field manager to help each sales rep achieve objectives and you cant do it in the office. the field is where its at as the book firmly states. i just wish that there was a newer edition with the advent of technology.

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