Selfishness, greed and capitalism : debunking myths about the free market / Christopher Snowdon.
| Author/creator | Snowdon, Christopher author. |
| Format | Book |
| Publication | London, England : The Institute of Economic Affairs, 2015. |
| Copyright Date | ©2015 |
| Description | xxii, 204 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm. |
| Subjects |
| Series | Hobart Paper ; 177 Hobart paper 177. ^A75219 |
| Contents | Machine generated contents note: 1. Capitalism relies on greed and selfishness -- Incentives and the invisible hand -- The parable of the steel company -- Is greed good? -- Conclusion -- 2. Economists believe people are perfectly rational -- Some models are useful -- Rational choice and behavioural economics -- Have we found angels to govern us? -- Rational consumers and irrational voters -- Conclusion -- 3. Economists think GDP is all that matters -- A blind obsession? -- No design for life -- Conclusion -- 4. Economists think we live in a free market -- A free market is not anarchy -- Capitalists don't like free markets -- Planning, private and public -- Conclusion -- 5. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer -- Higher wages for all -- The progress of the poor relative to the rich -- Conclusion -- 6. We are working ever longer hours -- Conclusion -- 7. Rich countries will not benefit from more economic growth -- Growth scepticism -- In defence of growth -- Conclusion -- 8. There is a paradox of prosperity -- Other people's consumerism -- Ferraris, Porsches and other preferences -- Conclusion -- 9. Inequality is rising in Britain -- Why inequality rose in the 1980s -- Taxes, benefits and inequality -- Inequality and recession -- The one per cent -- 10. Inequality is the cause of health and social problems -- Selection bias -- Ignoring outliers -- Dismissal of economic growth as a factor -- Ignoring history -- Mechanisms -- Selective criteria -- Consensus? -- The panacea temptation -- Why inequality? -- Conclusion -- 11. If you're born poor, you die poor -- Absolute and relative mobility -- Towards a meritocracy -- Conclusion. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references. |
| Genre/form | History. |
| ISBN | 9780255366779 (paperback) |
| ISBN | 0255366779 (paperback) |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyner | General Stacks | HB72 .S66 2015 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |