Invisible Handcuffs: Unchaining Economics

How can philosophy of science help us in the fight to reclaim economics?

That is the topic of discussion in our latest episode of Invisible Handcuffs, where I was delighted to be joined by leading a social-ecological economist Clive Spash.

This discussion brought a whole new language to problems with economics that I have long sensed, but been unable to put into words.

We delve deep into philosophy of science which Clive argues is crucial not just for deconstructing mainstream economics - which Clive says is literally walking us into disaster - but also, if we wish to build a...

This week we discuss the need to overthrow the current economic paradigm, and what a new one could look like, with Professor Steve Keen.

Steve is a prolific writer, teacher, blogger and vlogger, known as one of few economists to have predicted the global financial crash and a thorn in the side of mainstream or neoclassical economics for over 50 years.

A former professor of economics at Kingston university in the UK, today you’re most likely to find him on YouTube or one of his weekly online seminars talking about the crisis of capitalism and the various flaws in mainstream...

My guest this week is Emma Holten. Emma is a feminist economist from Denmark and the author of a best-selling book, Deficit.

Feminist economics, as Emma explains, is the study of the unhidden but vital work of ‘reproduction’ - that textured, often unquantifiable work that goes into making everything else in life, including economic life, possible: care, repair, love, friendship, compassion. But, that which doesn’t lend itself to being monetised and moulded into the kinds of models used by economists today, which have to prove their contribution to economic growth, but without which, no economic growth would be possible.

Emma...

This podcast is all about freeing ourselves from the chains of economic orthodoxy: the set of ideas that drive most decisions in governments, institutions around the world and thus are also underpin our crises.

But where do these ideas come from, and why do they persist? What might alternative schools have to offer? And if such alternative perspectives could offer solutions, why are they not more widely taught?

That is the topic of this week’s discussion with Professor John T Harvey of Texas Christian University.

Unlike most economics student John was fortunate enough to have been exposed to a range...