ABSTRACT
John Davis’s work has touched on several themes, including the nature of individuality and its inadequate recognition by mainstream economics. This chapter argues that, despite an expanded mainstream pluralism, some common themes remain strong within the mainstream, particularly the core ‘Max U’ idea of the utility-maximizing individual. I set out an alternative perspective, which links with authors such as Adam Smith, Amartya Sen, and Deirdre McCloskey in rejecting utility maximization as an adequate explanation of human behaviour, focusing on moral and other multifaceted motivations instead. The paper concludes by arguing that these issues could become the central raison d’être of social economics, to which John has been a major contributor.
