<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>I argue in this text that the economic mind is a culturally hegemonic, naturalistic interpretation of the behavior produced by the revolutionary nature of the economic and technical developments of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Despite persistent criticism, people fulfilled the predictions of the economic model of a human being for so long that they committed an attribution error and took it to be the adequate vision of human nature. Neoclassical economic theory played a significant, even if involuntary, role in the spread of this illusion. I also claim that the concept of economic mind—as the dominant interpretation of human nature—currently functions as a self-fulfilling prophecy, reproducing behaviors that would have a chance to change (refuting the theory developed on their basis), were it not for the popularity of this concept as commonsensical definition of human nature.</p></abstract>

I argue in this text that the economic mind is a culturally hegemonic, naturalistic interpretation of the behavior produced by the revolutionary nature of the economic and technical developments of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Despite persistent criticism, people fulfilled the predictions of the economic model of a human being for so long that they committed an attribution error and took it to be the adequate vision of human nature. Neoclassical economic theory played a significant, even if involuntary, role in the spread of this illusion. I also claim that the concept of economic mind—as the dominant interpretation of human nature—currently functions as a self-fulfilling prophecy, reproducing behaviors that would have a chance to change (refuting the theory developed on their basis), were it not for the popularity of this concept as commonsensical definition of human nature.

Economic Mind: From Attribution Error to Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Studies in Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Economic Mind: From Attribution Error to Self-Fulfilling Prophecy"}

I argue in this text that the economic mind is a culturally hegemonic, naturalistic interpretation of the behavior produced by the revolutionary nature of the...

Economic Mind: From Attribution Error to Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Online veröffentlicht: 11. Okt. 2020

Seitenbereich: 245 - 264

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/slgr-2020-0022

Schlüsselwörter
economic mind, economic man, Gary Becker, human nature, attribution error, self-fulfilling prophecy, happiness paradox

© 2020 Bartosz Kuźniarz, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Economic Mind: From Attribution Error to Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Online veröffentlicht: 11. Okt. 2020

Seitenbereich: 245 - 264

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/slgr-2020-0022

Schlüsselwörtereconomic mind, economic man, Gary Becker, human nature, attribution error, self-fulfilling prophecy, happiness paradox

© 2020 Bartosz Kuźniarz, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Schlüsselwörter
economic mind, economic man, Gary Becker, human nature, attribution error, self-fulfilling prophecy, happiness paradox