The Economics Of Needs And Limits: A Theory For Sustainable Well-Being PDF by Frank Rotering

The Economics Of Needs And Limits: A Theory For Sustainable Well-Being

By Frank Rotering

Table Of Contents

Preface ……………………………………………………………………………………….. I

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………….. 1

1. The Urgent Need For A Sustainable Economics …………………………………… 1
2. Enl’s Core Features ………………………………………………………………………… 1
3. Rebuilding After Ecological Collapse ………………………………………………. 2

Chapter 1 Economic Logic …………………………………………………………….. 5

1. Capitalism’s Economic Logic ……………………………………………………………. 5
2. Enl’s Economic Logic ………………………………………………………………………. 7
3. Summary ………………………………………………………………………………………… 9

Chapter 2 The Enl Framework …………………………………………………….. 11

1. Analytical Scope …………………………………………………………………………… 11
2. Geographical Scope ………………………………………………………………………. 11
3. Economic Abstraction …………………………………………………………………… 12
4. Output Life Cycle ………………………………………………………………………….. 14
5. Marginal Analysis …………………………………………………………………………. 15
6. Graphs And Quantification …………………………………………………………….. 15

Chapter 3 Consumption And Value ………………………………………………… 17

1. Distribution And Consumption ………………………………………………………. 17
2. A Brief History Of Value ………………………………………………………………… 18
3. Value And Cost Are Human Measures ……………………………………………….. 19
4. Enl’s Measurement Standard …………………………………………………………. 20
5. Potential Value …………………………………………………………………………….. 21
6. Effectual Value …………………………………………………………………………….. 23
7. Satiation……………………………………………………………………………………… 24
8. Maldistribution Of Final Outputs …………………………………………………… 25
9. Deaths From Consumption ……………………………………………………………… 27
10. Needs And Wants …………………………………………………………………………… 27

Chapter 4 Production And Cost …………………………………………………….. 29

1. Allocation And Production ……………………………………………………………. 29
2. A Brief History Of Cost ………………………………………………………………….. 30
3. Opportunity Cost: The Great Deception ………………………………………….. 31
4. Forgone Health And Input Cost ………………………………………………………. 33
5. Labor Cost ……………………………………………………………………………………. 33
6. Employment Level ………………………………………………………………………….. 35
7. Maldistribution Of Labor ………………………………………………………………. 37
8. Natural Cost ………………………………………………………………………………… 37
9. Maldistribution Of Wastes ……………………………………………………………. 39
10. Deaths From Production ……………………………………………………………….. 40
11. Value, Cost, And The Output Life Cycle …………………………………………….. 40
12. Defining Well-Being ………………………………………………………………………. 41

Chapter 5 Maximizing Gains ………………………………………………………… 43

1. Optimization ………………………………………………………………………………… 43
2. Combining The Value And Cost Curves ……………………………………………… 44
3. How Much Bread? Optimum Quantity For A Final Output ……………………. 46
4. How Many Cigarettes? Optimum Quantity For A Harmful Output ………… 50
5. How Many Transport Trucks? Optimum Quantity For An Intermediate Output …………… 51
6. How Many Concerts? Optimum Quantity For A Want-Satisfying Output .. 52
7. What Level Of Total Outputs? Optimum Scale For The Economy …………. 52
8. Long-Run Optimization ………………………………………………………………….. 53

Chapter 6 Environmental Limits …………………………………………………… 55

1. Environmental Budgets …………………………………………………………………. 55
2. Budget Shares And Share Limits ……………………………………………………… 56
3. Ecological Limit – Single Output ……………………………………………………. 58
4. Ecological Limit – Economy ……………………………………………………………. 59
5. Target Output Quantity …………………………………………………………………. 59
6. Ecological Efficiency ……………………………………………………………………. 61
7. Authorization Of Wants ………………………………………………………………… 63

Chapter 7 Population ………………………………………………………………….. 67

1. Optimum Population Level ………………………………………………………………. 67
2. Ecological Limit For Population …………………………………………………….. 69
3. Target Population Level ………………………………………………………………… 70
4. Population And The Ipat Factors …………………………………………………….. 71
5. Reducing Population …………………………………………………………………….. 74

Chapter 8 Labor Productivity ……………………………………………………….. 76

1. Definition ……………………………………………………………………………………. 76
2. Technological Intensity ……………………………………………………………….. 76
3. Two Perspectives: Capitalism And Enl ……………………………………………… 79
4. Division Of Labor ………………………………………………………………………….. 81
5. Luddism Reconsidered …………………………………………………………………… 81

Chapter 9 Trade …………………………………………………………………………. 84

1. Trade Fundamentals ……………………………………………………………………… 84
2. Trade Is An Allocation Issue ………………………………………………………….. 86
3. Example: Trading Lumber For Avocados …………………………………………… 87

Chapter 10 Concluding Topics ……………………………………………………… 90

1. Developing And Improving Enl ………………………………………………………… 90
2. Developing A Functional Framework ………………………………………………. 91
3. John Ruskin’s Value Concepts ………………………………………………………… 92

Appendix A Glossary …………………………………………………………………… 94

Appendix B Public Statement By Concerned Economic Thinkers …………. 98

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