European University Institute Library

Ricardo's gauntlet, economic fiction and the flawed case for free trade, Vishaal Kishore

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

index present

non fiction

Ricardo's gauntlet

bibliography

881656852

Vishaal Kishore

economic fiction and the flawed case for free trade

'Ricardo's Gauntlet' advances a critique of the mainstream economic case for international free trade. While the core of the case for free trade is David Ricardo's principle of comparative advantage, the book argues that this case relies on a cluster of interconnected and mutually enforcing 'economic fictions' <U+0127> economic theories or doctrines that pretend to be fact but which upon examination turn out to be mirages. Exposing the layers of fiction nested in the subfields of mainstream economics empties comparative advantage of its persuasiveness, bringing down the case for free trade

Introduction : Ricardo's gauntlet and the case for free trade -- Exploring the case for free trade : unexpected twists in a simple story -- The tale of international trade's invisible hand -- Clockwork production and the origin-myths of specialization -- And they lived happily ever after : fictions of being better off and stories of what should be -- Conclusion by way of ideologiekritik : fiction and rationalization