ABSTRACT
The student initiative to challenge the dominance of the neoclassical paradigm at departments of economics in various parts of the world is extremely important. Why is this so? As I see it, the close to monopoly position of neoclassical economics is not compatible with normal ideas about democracy. Economics is science in some sense, but is at the same time ideology. Limiting economics to the neoclassical paradigm means imposing a serious ideological limitation. Departments of economics become political propaganda centers not very different from the many think tanks that we see these days in the USA and Europe. Instead, pluralism and paradigm coexistence are needed for departments of economics. Having more than one theoretical perspective will mean that more than one ideological perspective is represented. Economic Man assumptions imply that human beings are essentially consumers and wage earners. Obviously, this is close to an ideology of consumerism and neo-liberalism. Among alternative ways of regarding human beings, men and women can be seen as Political Economic Persons, meaning that their roles as professionals, parents and citizens are also considered. Furthermore, Economic Man assumptions are tied to utilitarian ethics, which is merely one of numerous ethical theories. Our Political Economic Person, on the contrary, is guided by an ideological orientation that is not limited to one specific ethic.
