Myth and Metaphor in Orthodox Economics

Abstract

End of the pseudo-debate between capitalism and socialism These are interesting times to think anew about orthodox neoclassical economics. With the collapse of communism, the bipolar economicpolitical order is breaking down. Suppose that the proslavery writers had managed to pose 'The Slavery Question as a question of whether slave plantations should be publicly or privately owned. Instead of being privately owned and exploited for private greed (the Athens model), shouldn't the slave plantations be publicly owned and operated for the Public Good (the Sparta model)? Public ownership of plantations would, however, be inefficient. Pub