More Than Just a Production Factor: The View of Labour in the Works of the Norwegian Economist Torkel Aschehoug (1822–1909)

Clara Mathilde C. Fasting () and Sylvi B. Endresen
Additional contact information
Clara Mathilde C. Fasting: University of Erfurt
Sylvi B. Endresen: University of Oslo

Chapter Chapter 7 in The Liberation of the Serfs, 2012, pp 43-64 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Different dimensions in the debate on labour and work are used to present the general approach and ethics embedded in the economics of Aschehoug. The main findings can be summed up as follows: Aschehoug represents a “multi-dimensional” economics giving a nuanced and broad picture that draws on economics as well as psychology, philosophy, sociology, and other human sciences. As a consequence, workers are not considered production factors only, but seen as human beings having human needs. Professor Balbakins underlines exactly the same point in his discussion about the German/Austrian economist Albert Schäffle (1831–1903). Schäffle was one of Aschehoug’s contemporaries, he had almost the same lifespan. Balabkins points out that Schäffle “brings into wider perspective that economics is a science about the complex living organism called homo sapiens…the human being was not a commodity”. Furthermore, he describes Schäffle as being “not a typical contemporary one-dimensional mathematical economist, possessing statistical prowess but lacking erudition in economic history or geo-politics, or rudiments of sociology”. Even though all of Aschehoug’s contemporaries were not one-dimensional, the trend towards a specialized scientific mathematically based economics was on its way.

Keywords: Temp Agency; Economic Recession; Labour Regime; Labour Power; Piece Rate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:euhchp:978-1-4614-0085-1_7

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9781461400851

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-0085-1_7

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in The European Heritage in Economics and the Social Sciences from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().