1. Human Action | Robert P. Murphy

This panel discusses the role of mathematics and history in economics. Lord Robert Skidelsky and Dr. Ha-Joon Chang advocate for a more prominent role of history and a less prominent role of mathematics within economics. Prof. Steve Pisckhe and Prof. Francesco Caselli defend the dominant role of mathematics within economics. Each of the speakers gives a 10-15 minutes talk advocating his position, before the panel is opened up for Q&A. The discussion is moderated by Prof. James Foreman-Peck.

Capitalism cannot fulfil the promises of the French revolution: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. Why? Richard Wollf elaborates on Marx's analysis of the distribution and organisation of surplus in society and his conclusion that there is something inherently wrong in capitalist class structure that still causes economic crisis in our modern times. Change requires changing the organisation of the production. This goes far beyond a discussion of 'more-state' vs. 'less-state'.

Walter Ötsch beschreibt wie die Ökonomik sich von der Moralwissenschaft unter Adam Smith zu einer Wissenschaft mit einem biologisch determinierten Menschenbild unter Malthus und Ricardo entwickelt. In diesem Prozess kommen naturwissenschaftliche Metaphern (Uhr-System, Waage-Gleichgewicht, Computer-Information) immer mehr zum Tragen. Anhand der Geschichte wird die Entwicklung der modernen Neoklassik gezeigt. Dann wird die marktliberale Interpretation der Neoklassik kritisiert. Zum Schluss wird noch auf das fehlende Narrativ der Ökonomik zur Finanzkrise eingegangen und auf den nicht stattgefundenen Bruch mit der Marktradikalität der Eliten.

The MINE website explores the interplay between nature and economy. Focusing on such fundamental concepts as time, thermodynamics, evolution, homo politicus and justice, a new outline of economic activity emerges within nature. The dominant approach of Mainstream Economics, which considers nature as a subsystem of the economy, is thus replaced by a broader and more integrated framework. The visual map and its links between concepts provides an orientation. The visitor can approach the content from their own starting point and follow their own path to discovery. Each concept starts with the historical background and moves on through theory and practice. The research behind MINE began in the 1970s at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, in an interdisciplinary group spearheaded by Professor Malte Faber, including scientists from economics to mathematics, physics and philosophy. The research has contributed to the field of Ecological Economics. MINE is directed at students, scientists and decion-makers. More on http://nature-economy.de/faq/