Standard economics portrays people as representative households that respond effectively to economic incentives and available information. But decades of sociological and psychological research has shown that people are highly influenced by norms and their environment. From where we work and live to what we consume – our lives are highly influenced by our socioeconomic background … Continue reading The Philosophy, Sociology and Economics of Class
Author: Marco Meyer
The Ethics of Capitalism
In 1992, Fukuyama argued humanity might have reached the “end of history”, referring to the idea that capitalism is now the only viable economic system, being adopted by all countries. In this light, talking about ‘alternatives to capitalism’ can feel arcane and from another era. At the same time, rising inequality, poverty, polarisation and climate … Continue reading The Ethics of Capitalism
Pandemic Culture
with Justus Schollmeyer The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a massive shift to remote working. As organizations make plans for the time after COVID-19, it becomes clear that many organizations will not go back to the way things were. Some organizations already shed office space (Reuters), and many employees warm to the idea of working partly … Continue reading Pandemic Culture
Debt, inflation and employment after the pandemic
Government spending and central bank actions are fundamental drivers of economic activity. These so-called macroeconomic policies influence every part of the economy, ranging from the labour market, to the housing market to business investment. For a long time, the core laws of macroeconomics seemed clear. But the 2008/09 financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic upset the … Continue reading Debt, inflation and employment after the pandemic
The Future of Capitalism
Capitalist economies are undergoing rapid changes, leading to new grievances and the revival of old challenges in a new guise. Firstly, economic inequalities could approach the levels of the Belle Époque, injecting new life into questions about the justifiability of capitalism. Secondly, technology could fundamentally change the labour market, providing new opportunities but also raising … Continue reading The Future of Capitalism
The economics and the design of socially just climate policies
The findings from climate economics are clear: transitioning the economy to limit global warming -- to 2 degrees or less -- is possible. For decades, economists have built detailed models of the economy that estimate what individual countries and individual sectors of the economy would have to do, to prevent global warming. They also include … Continue reading The economics and the design of socially just climate policies
Big Corporations and Social Justice
Big corporations are on the rise. For instance, in ten percent of industries in the US, only four firms control the vast majority of the market. Some bigger corporations are more productive and innovative than some small ones. But big corporations also have more market power. They find it easier to set high prices, establish … Continue reading Big Corporations and Social Justice
Twelve Stars
The twelve stars in Europe’s flag symbolize Europe’s unity in diversity. The Twelve Stars project starts a debate between citizens and practical philosophers from all over Europe to discuss proposals for the future of the European Union. More than two dozen philosophers present their proposals. We invited you to challenge them: ask questions, criticise and discuss – in … Continue reading Twelve Stars
British Academy Future of the Corporation Research Conference “Social Purpose and Culture of Corporations”
This interdisciplinary conference brought together leading academics working on issues related to the future of the social purpose and culture of corporations. We will address: Conceptions of culture and purpose and how they relate to one anotherNormative foundations of corporate culture and purposeMethods and tools for measuring culture and purposeWays of shaping culture and purposeThe … Continue reading British Academy Future of the Corporation Research Conference “Social Purpose and Culture of Corporations”
Workshop on Normative and Conceptual Issues in the Economy
This workshop brought together philosophers, economists, historians of ideas, and political scientists to discuss normative and conceptual issues in the economy. A principal aim of the workshop is to establish a dialogue between scholars from different perspectives. The last few years have seen an exciting uptick in normative and conceptual investigations of economic phenomena such … Continue reading Workshop on Normative and Conceptual Issues in the Economy