Human desire and economic satisfaction : essays on the frontiers of economics

It is hard to match Tibor Scitovsky in the ability to produce profound ideas, and harder still in the skill that he shows in presenting these ideas in marvellously simple and comprehensive ways. This collection of essays deal with a number of foundational issues in economics. The papers are deeply illuminating as well as great fun to read." AMARTYA SEN, Drummond Pro fessor of Political Economy, All Souls College, Oxford.

In this fascinating collection of major recent papers, Professor Scitovsky explores the frontiers of economics, focusing particularly on the interface between economics and psychology. He makes explicit the limitations of economics and undermines its fun damental assumption of consumer rationality by documenting irration ality and tracing the latter's roots to the puritan ethic.

Tibor Scitovsky is one of the leading figures currently working in econ omics. His writing has ranged widely, and has included such topics as the theory of capital, the theory of imperfect competition, the econ omics of advertising, the economics of culture, and international monet ary reform. Throughout this work has run a central interest in welfare economics, and the welfare meaning of economic "progress".