ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book concerns the theoretical aspects of inequality, and ethical issues concerning economics and equality. It deals with empirical evidence and policy suggestions drawn from the elaboration of the current uneven development among advanced economies, and inequality within countries in the context of the financial capitalism paradigm governing most advanced economies. The book focuses on sustainable development issues such as full employment, social costs of global trade liberalization, environmental sustainability and ecological issues. It criticizes the explanations of unemployment that are still based on traditional views about the working of the economy and particularly of the labour market. The book argues that the new generation of trade agreements, including the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), aim at deep economic integration. It shows that the post-transition economic structure of east-central European countries has been largely shaped by foreign direct investments.