One purpose of this review of economic development and
academic thought has been to suggest that our ability to
“break free” is constrained by paradigms with deep historical
roots. Among these roots are (0) the notion of virtuous contribution to the common good; (0) the system of self-regulation
developed by the Romans; (0) the mechanical, deterministic,
static, and certain model of Newtonian physics; (0) the
physiocratic and mercantilist conception of tangible necessity; (0) the moral and political agenda of the political
economist; and (0) the marginal utility and equilibrium theories of economic science. The explication of these historical
antecedents is not intended to imply pejorative connotations.
They are offered simply to illuminate the restricted vision
with which we now attempt to understandexchange in
general.