ABSTRACT
This chapter characterises the alternative concepts of human nature created within modern economic heterodoxy, for example those developed in the late 20th century. Recently, the ideas of these schools and approaches have more and more strongly penetrated into the mainstream. The chapter starts with ecological economics, which responds to the ecological challenges of the present times and postulates both the rooting of economics in the ecological system and zero or negative economic growth. Further, behavioural economics is discussed, with related experimental economics and neuroeconomics, drawing attention to the empirical basis of the concept of human nature. Next, feminist economics draws attention to the socio-cultural roots of not only the concept of human nature but also of the whole economy, especially indicating the role of gender as a construct allowing to explain economic inequalities, influencing the way of practising economics and shaping preferences for certain methods. It is followed by evolutionary economics, with its biological, evolutionary perspective in the analysis of economic processes. Finally, humanistic economics is presented with economic approaches oriented towards major world religions – for example Buddhist, Islamic and Christian economics (here, especially, from the point of view of the best-developed Catholic Social Teaching).
