Advancements in economics have had a profound impact on the way we live our lives. In the same way that advances in physics, medicine, and chemistry have contributed to increased living standards, our growing understanding of economics has facilitated longer lives, improved living conditions, and decreased mortality rates for those suffering from medical conditions.
At its core, economics is a social science that examines how people interact with things of value. The central economic problem arises from the fact that humans have unlimited desires but only limited resources, which necessitates trade-offs. In attempting to answer this problem, economists have focused on questions such as what should be produced, how much should be produced, how should it be produced, and who should it be produced for.
Capitalism is an economic system that has answered some of these questions through the allocation of resources based on market demand. However, the market system is less effective at answering questions about negative value items such as trash, sewage, and greenhouse gas emissions. The inability of capitalism to assign the costs of such items to their producers without government intervention has led to some negative consequences. For instance, aging populations require more economic assistance and often cannot work, yet the system does not provide a clear mechanism for addressing this issue.
Nevertheless, different economies around the world have attempted to address these gaps with various workarounds, such as carbon pricing and forced retirement savings. As we continue to develop our economic knowledge, we may find solutions to existential issues such as achieving limitless growth in a finite world.
Looking at the progression of economics as a discipline, it is important to understand how far we have come. Mercantilism was the dominant economic system in the world before economics was an academic discipline, and it focused on exporting as much as possible while importing as little as possible to accumulate gold. However, the study of economics has shown that economic cooperation and free trade produce much more wealth overall. Capitalism has been a successful economic system for allocating resources based on market demand, but it has its limitations.
To fully understand how economics has impacted our lives, we must consider the complex supply chains and collaborations required for the production of modern technology. From refined quartz in South America to the final smartphone product marketed by Apple, the entire supply chain is based on economic collaboration, free trade, and the division of labor across dozens of countries and millions of workers. The neoclassical school of economics lays out how to run an economy by effectively managing debt, employment, inflation, taxation, and supply-side output to generate wealth.
Despite the significant advances we have made in economics, there is still much to learn. The field is continually evolving, and we are still discovering new ways to manage economies more effectively. As such, it is essential to consider what the limits of economics are and to remain open to new approaches to solving economic problems.
In conclusion, while the traditional sciences receive much of the credit for increased living standards, economics has played a significant role in the progress we have made. Advancements in economic knowledge have facilitated longer lives, improved living conditions, and decreased mortality rates for those suffering from medical conditions. Capitalism has been a successful economic system for allocating resources based on market demand, but it has its limitations, and as we continue to develop our economic knowledge, we may find solutions to previously unsolvable economic problems. It is essential to remain open to new approaches to solving economic problems and to continue pushing the boundaries of our economic knowledge.
I think that the core problem is that economics is only one half of the issue. The other is politics or rather the political shape of society what it considers important and so on. That interacts with economics and shapes what economic questions are important.
I think future advances will come in the form of refining the questions, particularly adding questions like who will produce goods. Future markets will be focused around supply and demand of labor rather than goods.