The post-autistic economics movement (),
or movement of students for the reform of economics teaching (),
is a
political movement
A political movement is a collective attempt by a group of people to change government policy or social values. Political movements are usually in opposition to an element of the status quo, and are often associated with a certain ideology. Some t ...
that criticises
neoclassical economics
Neoclassical economics is an approach to economics in which the production, consumption, and valuation (pricing) of goods and services are observed as driven by the supply and demand model. According to this line of thought, the value of a go ...
and advocates for
pluralism in economics. The movement gained attention after an open letter signed by almost a thousand economics students at French universities and
grandes ecoles was published in ''
Le Monde
(; ) is a mass media in France, French daily afternoon list of newspapers in France, newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average print circulation, circulation of 480,000 copies per issue in 2022, including ...
'' in 2000.
Terminology
The
French term has an older meaning than the English term ''autism'' and signifies "abnormal subjectivity, acceptance of fantasy rather than reality". However,
Steve Keen
Steve Keen (born 28 March 1953) is an Australian economist and author. He considers himself a post-Keynesian, criticising neoclassical economics as inconsistent, unscientific, and empirically unsupported.
Keen was formerly an associate profe ...
also asserts that "neoclassical economics has the characteristics of an autistic child".
The pejorative reference to
autism
Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...
is considered offensive by some economists.
Response
The French minister of education appointed a panel headed by
Jean-Paul Fitoussi to inquire into economics teaching.
In 2000, the panel called for limited reform.
Articles associated with the movement were published in the ''Post-Autistic Economics Newsletter'' from September 2000. This electronic newsletter became the ''
Post-Autistic Economics Review'' and, since 2008, has existed as the peer-reviewed journal ''
Real-World Economics Review
Real World or The Real World may also refer to:
* Real life, a phrase to distinguish between the real world and fictional, virtual or idealized worlds
* Reality
* World
* Existence Television
* The Real World (TV series), ''The Real World'' (TV s ...
''.
Several responses to the French students' open letter were also published in ''Le Monde''. A counter-petition signed by 15 French economists was published in October 2000.
Robert Solow
Robert Merton Solow, GCIH (; August 23, 1924 – December 21, 2023) was an American economist who received the 1987 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, and whose work on the theory of economic growth culminated in the exogenous growth ...
adhered to the "main thesis" of the French students' petition, but criticised the "opaque and almost incomprehensible" debate that followed among academics.
published a response defending mainstream economics.
Other notable economists, such as
Steve Keen
Steve Keen (born 28 March 1953) is an Australian economist and author. He considers himself a post-Keynesian, criticising neoclassical economics as inconsistent, unscientific, and empirically unsupported.
Keen was formerly an associate profe ...
and
James K. Galbraith, wrote elsewhere in support of the French students.
See also
*
Humanistic economics
*
History of economic thought
The history of economic thought is the study of the philosophies of the different thinkers and theories in the subjects that later became political economy and economics, from the ancient world to the present day.
This field encompasses many d ...
*
Pluralism in economics
*
Post-Keynesian economics
Post-Keynesian economics is a Schools of economic thought, school of economic thought with its origins in ''The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, The General Theory'' of John Maynard Keynes, with subsequent development influence ...
*
Real-world economics
*
Heterodox economics
Heterodox economics is a broad, relative term referring to schools of economic thought which are not commonly perceived as belonging to mainstream economics. There is no absolute definition of what constitutes heterodox economic thought, as it i ...
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
History of and documents from the PAE MovementReal-World Economics Review Blog
{{Schools of economic thought
Schools of economic thought