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Plato's Republic and liberal economic education for the twenty-first century

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  • Jeffrey Wagner

    (Economics Department, Rochester Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Much of the insight economists would like to share with non-economists derives from two fundamental concepts: division of labor and intrinsic versus extrinsic incentives. As Plato's Republic offers concise treatment of both concepts, it provides an excellent complement to standard principles of economics texts. Indeed, utilizing Republic enables a richer understanding of these two central economic concepts, in the process of promoting the importance of liberal education in general, and the ethical dimensions of economic policy design in particular.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeffrey Wagner, 2007. "Plato's Republic and liberal economic education for the twenty-first century," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 1(2), pages 1-10.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-07a20004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Wagner, Jeffrey, 2017. "Humanities as technology in teaching economics," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 35-40.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Division of Labor;

    JEL classification:

    • A2 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics
    • A0 - General Economics and Teaching - - General

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