Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book deals with the conflict between economics and human rights at a theoretical level. It focuses on the opposition of economics to cultural freedom, supported by the argument that economics tends to homogenize cultures because there would be only one best culture to achieve sound economic performance. The book argues that economics contributes to the erosion of the democratic idea, and describes the latter issue to address the opposition of economic globalization to democracy. It also focuses on teaching political economy for the advancement of human rights, while reserving a discussion on a democratic alternative to capitalist globalization for future research. The book also argues that mainstream economics’ discourse has become one the most substantial contributors to the erosion of the democratic idea.