So Many Shoes, So Little Money – Blog

Economic Theory Made Simple

March 17th, 2009

(Yes, Really)

Adam Smith: Optimist – individuals should be allowed to pursue their own private economic interests as much as possible. And, the free market, while appearing chaotic and unrestrained, is actually guided to produce the right amount and variety of goods by an “invisible hand”.

Translation: Buy whatever you want so long as it looks good on you.

Thomas Malthus: Pessimist – population will increase at a geometric rate, the numbers of workers on farms will increase at a slower pace, productivity and wages will not keep up, and our overall lot will not improve and everyone starves to death.

Translation: Don’t buy anything regardless of how it looks on you.

John Keynes: Realist – allowing individuals to pursue their own interests sometimes leads to inefficient outcomes, requiring policy responses from the government.

Translation: Bring a friend to make sure what ever you buy really does look good on you.

Karl Marx – Revolutionary – the “inevitable” cycles of economic breakdown from individuals pursing their own interests leads to revolution.

Translation: Be careful of trends.

Joseph Schumpeter: Creative Destructionist – innovation lays at the heart of economic development and requires entrepreneurship

Translation: “Fashion is made to become unfashionable”, Coco Chanel

Filed under: Introduction

Tags: Economics