This paper examines Adam Smith’s vision of family life and the role of the family in society as it stems from the Theory of Moral Sentiments. We first discuss textual evidences of Smith’s vision of gender differences and of the relationships between the sexes. Then we turn to TMS’s...

This article discusses Alvin Roth’s research about moneyless markets, and in particular about the manner in which kidneys are allocated to patients needing transplants. As Titmuss pointed out for blood transfusions, providing monetary incentives to blood donors may crowd out supply, since...

The aim of this article is to describe the rise and fall of the workhouse system in connection with the developments that took place in economic thought, in the transition from Mercantilism to pre-classical and classical tradition. By examining the economic arguments emerging from the debate...

The aim of this article is to analyse the relationship between the thinking of a major public finance scholar in the Italian tradition, Antonio De Viti de Marco, and the foundations of the ‘new’ economic policy which, at the end of last century in most industrialised countries, generated a...

This paper examines Jacob Viner’s contribution to the debate and the policy decision making concerning international monetary policy from the Great Depression to the Bretton Woods agreements. An outstanding member of the so called “early Chicago School of Political Economy”, Viner was...

Here we will deal with Hayek economist and without considering his theoretical production completely. In fact, the purpose of the present work is to expose and discuss Hayek’s theory of economic cycle. To try to develop our assignment in best way, naturally, we have also to deal us with...

Between 1943 and 1947 a new economic order was founded, which aimed at implementing multilateral trade, international monetary cooperation and economic stability supported by government intervention. This paper describes the contribution provided to this process by a group of American economists...

The rhetorical perspective of science claims that scientific truths are what scientists agree is true on the basis of intellectual standards socially determined by the scientific tradition. According to that perspective, models are just rhetorical arguments used by economists in order to affect...

According to Plato, thymòs – a notion denoting the human need for recognition – triggers off the most powerful and overwhelming human passions. Indeed, any action originated and nurtured by thymòtic passions places its own raison d’être in itself. The acts motivated by thymòs can...

Without the passions there would be little reason to act at all. Nevertheless, in standard economic models human action is driven solely by self-interest: the passions are supposed to interfere with our ability to form rational beliefs and to make rational choices. In fact, any action originated...