Our current economics is derided as the dismal science, but for the Ancient Greeks it was integral to achieving the good life. Etienne Helmer argues our contemporary vision of economics divorces wealth creation from its broader social and ethical consequences. Inspired by the Ancient Greeks, we should form an economy disinterested in extreme material wealth and with greater focus upon individual development, engagement in civil society, and care for the natural world. Within the current economic framework, we know what is part of the economy and what isn’t. Inflation, unemployment, and growth are the concern of the economist, while purpose, citizenship, and social cohesion are political concerns. We are also prone to believe that things have always been like this. But a look at how the economy has been conceived in history can illuminate our understanding of what the economy could be. The world’s submission to the logic of pure profitability and the destruction it …
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