Economic Themes (2011) 49 (2) 1, 137-151

FROM THE „OLD“ TO „NEW“ ECONOMIC IMPERIALISM


Nataša Golubović, Goran Milošević, Tatjana Stefanović

Abstract: Economic imperialism implies an application of economic methodology on the analytical therrain of other social sciences. „Old“ economic imperalism represents an extreme example of endeavour to procure the whole human behaviour under the economic approach. The “new“economic imperialism also means widening of economic principles in order to analyse other social phenomena, but it is performed in a way more acceptable to other social sciences. Namely, non-economic behaviour is not treated simply like market behaviour, rather it is perceived as a response to market imperfections, especially of informational nature. Based on the analysis of the conditions of appearance, as well as basic characteristics of economic imperialism, the main goal of this paper is to point out the analytic potential and also key shortcomings of this approach.

Keywords:  economic imperialism; neoclassical economics; economic approach; information; choice

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