Edward Elgar Publishing ECONOMIC THEORY AND REALITY: Selected Essays on their Disparities and Reconciliation (Economists of the Twentieth Century series)

Economic Theory and Reality presents Tibor Scitovsky's latest thinking on the relationship between economic theory and economic reality. This volume features discussion of many of the important theoretical contributions made to economics over the last 40 years including the Keynesian revolution and the ideas of Lerner, Steindl, Hirsch, Frank and many others who extended and enhanced the economist's toolbox. Professor Scitovsky's attempt to make economic theory more realistic and thereby more useful is the subject of the first part of the volume which includes his work on the necessity of asymmetric markets, some market power and righteous behaviour as conditions of a progressive and properly functioning market economy. The second major theme is the shortcomings of the real-world economy and, in particular, its failure to maintain macroequilibrium, price stability and full employment. This part includes examinations of inflexible wages and prices, excessive claims, positional goods, and the impact of second-hand markets on the macroeconomy. Economic Theory and Reality improves access to Professor Scitovsky's most important recent work, much of which was originally published either in foreign languages or outside the mainstream literature. As well as improving our understanding of his approach to economics and the contributions which he has made to scholarship, this book addresses key questions about the relevance of economic theory and its future direction.