Economists as political philosophers: a critique of normative trade theory

Robert Lepenies

No 2014/11, RSCAS Working Papers from European University Institute

Abstract: Economists are political philosophers. This claim is defended based on an investigation of normative arguments made in economics textbooks. The paper aims to explain, reconstruct and contest the neoclassical vision implicit in mainstream economic trade theory. Analyzing arguments made by international economists from the perspective of political philosophy, I show how the contemporary defence of free markets and trade liberalization is linked to a specific normative ideal of the political and social good.

Keywords: Political philosophy; Neoclassical economics; Normative trade theory; Free trade; Efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A12 A13 B21 B50 D60 F11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his, nep-hme, nep-hpe and nep-int
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:rsc:rsceui:2014/11

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