Whither the World: The Political Economy of the Future addresses the challenging questions of long-term future of mankind and global economy. It employs a holistic approach to answer fundamental questions about the course of future generations. Comparative economics and social science analysis are all engaged in a comprehensive coverage of the issues facing the global economy. A complex and dynamic consideration explains how things work and how they will and how they should work in the future. Economic methodology alone does not provide the most satisfactory answers for fundamental questions. An interdisciplinary attitude is necessary, since the future of the world and civilisation depends not only on what happens in the economic sphere but also vis-a-vis cultural, social, political, demographic, technological, and ecological processes. This first volume discusses the problems with the economist's viewpoint and the threats and opportunities of the future. The study is written in an intellectual and yet accessible style, which makes it essential reading for students, researchers and scholars; politicians and policy-makers; and the interested lay reader.
PART I: WHY ECONOMISTS ERR SO OFTEN 1. A Truthful Economics, or the Shoulds and the Realities of Modern Economic Science 2. Blueprint for the Future 3. On Employing Economics to Shape Reality 4. Globalization - an Accident of History? 5. Market versus Government in an Age of Globalization PART II: THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES: WHICH PREVAIL? 6. Economy Without Values is Like Life Without Sense 7. International Agreements and Disagreements