In the midst of any crisis, hope can be found, perhaps in unlikely places. INET believes that the discipline of economics is at a crossroads, and that it needs to be reinvented for the 21st century.
Recently, we asked users in our community about what gives them hope that this reinvention can be achieved. Responses varied, but INET community members generally have a lot of hope for the future.
Technology and innovation are two themes that INET is interested in, and issues that give people hope for the future, especially in terms of providing information in the marketplace. Michael Harrington writes that “Information technology helps break up the 20th century monopoly on information and provides for greater transparency in government.” Indeed, he says that judging by the current state of technological innovation, we should have high hopes that this will happen: “The historical monopolies in electoral politics, media, and finance will gradually break down, heralding a new era of freedom and justice. Think YouTube, Google, the blogosphere, OpenGov, eBay, Microfinance, etc.”
Likewise, lynnilon writes that technology can enable new networks on scales never seen in history: “These are emerging on a global scale and are largely unrecognized at the moment.”
Others are hopeful that the contemporary overlap of disciplines and other resources can help to spur new thinking. INET community member readerOfTeaLeaves notes that “Between new approaches to learning, which are based in interdisciplinary cross-pollinating of ideas, plus resources like INET and it's generous public outreach, a lot of creative thinking appears to be in the stages of early germination.”
Can INET lead this charge? Indeed, some people think so. INET community member and graduate student Lasse de la Porte Simonsen writes that “the resource this institute can become for young students and scholars for finding new ideas and materials for studying these ideas I would say is of profound importance.”
What gives YOU hope for the future of economics? Read all the responses, rank them, and even add your own on our Q&A Forum.
Comments
Of course there is a hope for the future of economics, otherwise there wouldn't be hope for us. But there is no future for capitalism and must not be. It destroys society and nature. So how will capitalism go down in history? The answer is: When we introduce more market to economy. Is it possible? Of course it is. We have completely underdeveloped labour market. The best worker at every public workplace, any time will make more productive and profitable companies than private ones. Bye bye capitalism. Then the rules will change. You may find more about that here in my article The Future of Economics here <!--mstheme-->http://www.sarovic.com/future_of_economics.htm
Aleksandar Sarovic
www.sarovic.com
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