A Spectre is Haunting Economics: the Dreadful Revenge of the Political
James Meadway (NEF)
James Meadway, senior economist at NEF (New Economics Foundation), will talk about the responses to the crisis of 2008 both as (1) the ideological bit of it – the challenge to economics and (2) the politics of it – how the economy is being reshaped by overtly political considerations.
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What is the relationship between economics and politics? Is economics intrinsically political? The answer that comes to the mind of any ordinary citizen, journalist, policy-maker, or indeed of anyone who has glanced at a newspaper at some point in the last few years may well be (try it!) bizarrely quite different from the typical answer you will get from a lecturer or student of economics (*).
It is time to mention the elephant in the lecture room: time to open up for discussion the relationship between economics and politics. Like many groups of economics students worldwide, some of us believe that a sound economics education necessarily includes the discussion in the classroom of the ethical and philosophical underpinnings -- as well as the moral, social and political implications -- of the different economic theories and policies to which students are exposed. (One could believe this to be a matter of intellectual honesty and/or moral responsibility from the part of academics, even).
What better way to spark off these discussions than by inviting James Meadway to Cambridge? James Meadway is the senior economist at NEF, the New Economics Foundation. NEF is "the UK's leading think tank promoting social, economic and environmental justice" and its purpose is "to transform the economy so that it works for people and the planet."
James will talk about the responses to the crisis of 2008 both as (1) the ideological bit of it – the challenge to economics and (2) the politics of it – how the economy is being reshaped by overtly political considerations.
Please join us on Wednesday for our last event of Lent term and bring with you fellow students, lecturers, neighbours of all disciplines and opinions - anyone wishing to gain some insight into these aspects of the historical times we happen to be living through.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What is the relationship between economics and politics? Is economics intrinsically political? The answer that comes to the mind of any ordinary citizen, journalist, policy-maker, or indeed of anyone who has glanced at a newspaper at some point in the last few years may well be (try it!) bizarrely quite different from the typical answer you will get from a lecturer or student of economics (*).
It is time to mention the elephant in the lecture room: time to open up for discussion the relationship between economics and politics. Like many groups of economics students worldwide, some of us believe that a sound economics education necessarily includes the discussion in the classroom of the ethical and philosophical underpinnings -- as well as the moral, social and political implications -- of the different economic theories and policies to which students are exposed. (One could believe this to be a matter of intellectual honesty and/or moral responsibility from the part of academics, even).
What better way to spark off these discussions than by inviting James Meadway to Cambridge? James Meadway is the senior economist at NEF, the New Economics Foundation. NEF is "the UK's leading think tank promoting social, economic and environmental justice" and its purpose is "to transform the economy so that it works for people and the planet."
James will talk about the responses to the crisis of 2008 both as (1) the ideological bit of it – the challenge to economics and (2) the politics of it – how the economy is being reshaped by overtly political considerations.
Please join us on Wednesday for our last event of Lent term and bring with you fellow students, lecturers, neighbours of all disciplines and opinions - anyone wishing to gain some insight into these aspects of the historical times we happen to be living through.
