The economist as shaman: revisioning our role for a sustainable, provisioning economy(
The economist as shaman: revisioning our role for a sustainable, provisioning economy(
Author(s): Molly Scott CatoSubject(s): Philosophy, Social Sciences, Economy, Special Branches of Philosophy, Sociology, Philosophy of Science, Social Theory, Socio-Economic Research
Published by: Editura Rosetti International
Keywords: green economy; sustainability; economic methodology;
Summary/Abstract: In view of the problems heterodox economists have faced in predicting, explaining and finding solutions to the financial and ecological crises facing humanity, the paper takes a wide-angle view of the question of what the role of an economist might be in a sustainable society. I argue that the role of an economist is one of an intermediary between people and the resources they need for survival, a role that in less rationalist societies might have been performed by a priest or shaman. I propose three central responsibilities for an economist in a sustainable society: supporting a process of re-embedding the economy in the environment; negotiating a respectful—even reverential—relationship between humans and non-human species; ensuring a means of acquiring resources that minimises the entropic impact of the human community.
Journal: Journal of Philosophical Economics
- Issue Year: V/2012
- Issue No: 2
- Page Range: 64-83
- Page Count: 20
- Language: English