This book explores the way political economy understands human motivation. In it, the author argues that the assumptions typically made by economists regarding want and choice cannot adequately lay a foundation for answering important questions about the design of economic institutions and the appropriate use of markets. This volume offers an exciting and unusual contribution to political economy, offering a novel integration of the insights of political economy, philosophy, and psychology, applying them to vital foundational issues in political economy.

David P. Levine is Professor of Economics at the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver, USA.

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION; Chapter 2 SUBSISTENCE; Chapter 3 SELF-SEEKING AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS; Chapter 4 KNOWING AND ACTING; Chapter 5 WANTING AND CHOOSING; Chapter 6 NORMATIVE CONSIDERATIONS; NOTES; BIBLIOGRAPHY; Index;