I want to learn about economics in general, what should I read?

[Jessica]

So it seems to me like most economics courses are taught in such a way that only teaches the "Washington consensus" and neoliberalism as ideals. I'm interested in learning about economics, but I don't want to just read Capital, I want to get a general feel for the field without it being simply dedicated leftist economics, basically. Any suggestions?

[Tim Cornelis]

Debunking Economics is a good book. Even if it may not be completely accurate, it kinds gives you a feel of various approaches to economics, and it is critical so that's good (critical of neo-classical economics, Marxist economics, Austrian economics). It's also layman material.

[Comrade #138672]

I also suggest learning about game theory, since this is heavily used in economics.

[Бай Ганьо]

I've heard good things about Ha-Joon Chang's "Economics: The User's Guide (https://www.pelicanbooks.com/economics-the-users-guide/)". I haven't read it myself yet.

[The Jay]

Read David Ricardo's stuff and Rubin's A History of Economic Thought. Bukharin's Economic Theory of the Leisure Class is an attack on bourgeois economics. I suppose that Keynes would be good to read too since you're looking to see multiple views.

[The Jay]

Also, watch these videos, I am only into the second one but it is interesting and can put you to bed no matter what kind of day you had at the same time:

0o0In_4R1l4

[The Jay]

I also suggest learning about game theory, since this is heavily used in economics.

That would require a lot of math and isn't really good for a beginner. It is better to start with the foundational texts.

[Sibotic]

Who needs economics when you can have catchy phrases, by Marx?:


The premises from which we begin are not arbitrary ones, not dogmas, but real premises from which abstraction can only be made in the imagination.

[...]

The writing of history must always set out from these natural bases and their modification in the course of history through the action of men.

[...]

With the development of private property, we find here for the first time the same conditions which we shall find again, only on a more extensive scale, with modern private property.

[...]

If antiquity started out from the town and its little territory, the Middle Ages started out from the country.


So far as Das Kapital and such are concerned, obviously from their perspective views on a society are significant to an economic work, and as a result of this the attempt to write or find a 'neutral' work of much significance on the matter of fundamental social relations historically is likely to merely resolve into some form of strange apologism or positivism. To enquire further into the essence of capitalism beyond any misleading appearances is to criticise it, and to accept these misleading appearances is essentially to do so because they are misleaiding, which is also a strange premise for a work of economics. Obviously, it still seems reasonable that you read Das Kapital, if you didn't happen to have read Marx, extensively, already.

[Asero]

Foundations of Economics (http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/books/foundations-of-economics-a-beginners-companion/)

[Zoop]

A. Bognadov's A Short Course of Economic Science.

You may also find this interesting: https://zcomm.org/political-economy/

[noble brown]

That would require a lot of math and isn't really good for a beginner. It is better to start with the foundational texts.
no there are some really good easily accessible books on game theory. I've got a couple if anyone wants a recommendation

[noble brown]

Robert Heilbroner's The Worldly Philosophers
John Kenneth Galbraith's The Age of Uncertainty

The first covers all the major economic theories and the second is a sort of short history of capitalism.

[Zoop]

http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/ has a lot of decent educational material which you may want to check out.

[cyu]

Personally I consider racism and economics as "solved problems" - however, it's like coming up with the plans for the ultimate video game before you have a computer - it's nice to know a great video game is possible, but until you get a computer, your plans aren't going anywhere.

So what prevents the solving of racism and economics problems? The fact that the ruling class controls the mass media and the ideas that are dominant in society. They have an interest in not solving the problems of racism, nor ending the economic system they control, so as long as the ruling class controls the mass media, you might as well not have a computer to put your video game on.

[Dave B]

I think a good starting place might be Adam Smiths wealth of nations.

It is after all accepted it would seem as a theoretical base for both the capitalist and Marxist theoreticians; and he is on the English £20 note.




The ASI formed the primary intellectual force behind privatisation of state-owned assets during the premiership of Margaret Thatcher (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher),[2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smith_Institute#cite_note-2) and alongside the Centre for Policy Studies (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_for_Policy_Studies) and Institute of Economic Affairs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_Economic_Affairs), advanced a Neoliberal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoliberalism) approach toward public policy on privatisation, taxation, education, and healthcare.[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smith_Institute#cite_note-3) A number of the policies presented by organisation were adopted by the administrations of John Major (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Major) and Tony Blair (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Blair), and members of the ASI have also advised non-UK governments


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smith_Institute

I thought it was a fairly bouncy, easy and entertaining read.

From Adam Smith


Labour, therefore, is the real measure of the exchangeable value of all commodities.

https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/smith-adam/works/wealth-of-nations/book01/ch05.htm


The masters, being fewer in number, can combine much more easily; and the law, besides, authorizes, or at least does not prohibit their combinations, while it prohibits those of the workmen. We have no acts of parliament against combining to lower the price of work; but many against combining to raise it.

https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/smith-adam/works/wealth-of-nations/book01/ch08.htm


Whenever the legislature attempts to regulate the differences between masters and their workmen, its counsellors are always the masters. When the regulation, therefore, is in favour of the workmen, it is always just and equitable; but it is sometimes otherwise when in favour of the masters

https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/smith-adam/works/wealth-of-nations/book01/ch10b.htm


. Wherever there is great property there is great inequality. For one very rich man there must be at least five hundred poor, and the affluence of the few supposes the indigence of the many. The affluence of the rich excites the indignation of the poor…

https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/smith-adam/works/wealth-of-nations/book05/ch01b.htm

[Hit The North]

I concur with noble brown, Robert Heilbroner's The Worldly Philosophers is a very good read and an excellent introduction to the major economic thinkers, their theories and their times.