Présentation de l'éditeur
This book is about science - specifically, the science of economics. Or lack thereof is more accurate. All science, let alone economics, is grounded in the understanding of what is beneath the "surface" or the definitions and meanings attached to words, numbers, concepts and written analyses. By focusing on the interactions of people and business activities as case examples, we develop the science of economics. We take in particular the concern with global warming and climate change since these areas present both environmental problems caused by humankind along with solutions that involve people and business activities, expressed and captured in economic terms. Science, and hence economics, must be concerned with understanding real world experiences in order to formulate hypotheses that articulate into theories which produce descriptions of how to understand phenomenon and real world experiences. Today economics is primarily focused on numbers and statistics. Economics as it has evolved from the neo-classical theories infrequently presents, describes and discusses the definitions, meanings and analytical forecasts of the numbers and statistics that are produced. It simply can not. Why? Economics, as practiced in the contemporary academic and corporate world, is problematic in that it can not incorporate people. Economics must become a science, because the essence of economics in terms of understanding human actions, group interactions and communities are in needed. The economic actions of organizations and communities are about people interacting in everyday of life, trying to understand the past, construct the future and make sense of the present. This perspective is what philosophers have traditionally called the "lifeworld" paradigm from the German die Lebenswelt, with its roots in the 18th Century philosophy of Kant, and later on Husserl, Heidegger, Schutz, and Gadamer. The results of these philosophical traditions is seen in different schools of contemporary social science thought ranging from phenomenology, hermeneutic, ethnomethodology, linguistics (Noam Chomsky) and symbolic interactionism (Herbert Blumer) among others. For example, the result of qualitative economics is link to what Jeremy Rifkin and others are now calling "The Third Industrial Revolution" or the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy power generation, storage and carbon neutral communities. This Revolution has already begun, primarily in Europe and Japan. In short, the entire volume is a landmark philosophical and practical study in economic theory and practice. It challenges the roots and paradigm of contemporary economic theory through an examination of its logic. The book presents a strong set of core philosophical arguments directed toward making economics a science. In short, this volume will lead to further debate and discussion of economics becoming a science. As all scientific inquiry should review data and information in order to create a new or different perspective for understanding and change. That is what we have done here.
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