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K. William Kapp's theory of social costs and environmental policy: Towards political ecological economics

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  • Berger, Sebastian

Abstract

The paper analyzes the contribution of K. William Kapp, widely considered one of the founders of Ecological Economics. This paper will demonstrate how K. William Kapp developed his theory of social costs into a framework for environmental policy development, i.e. the basis for Political Ecological Economics. The latter provides the most comprehensive and non-utilitarian alternative to the main neoclassical approaches provided by Arthur Pigou and Ronald Coase. Kapp determined basic human needs to be necessary values operational for policymaking via politically derived and scientifically determined social minima (criteria) and socio-ecological indicators. This "rational humanism" was inspired by Weber's concept of substantive rationality and informed by John Dewey's pragmatic instrumentalism. The paper concludes that Kapp's contribution is important enough to cement its place in the broader school of Ecological Economics.

Suggested Citation

  • Berger, Sebastian, 2008. "K. William Kapp's theory of social costs and environmental policy: Towards political ecological economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 244-252, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:67:y:2008:i:2:p:244-252
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sebastian Berger & Mathew Forstater, 2007. "Toward a Institutionalist Economics: Kapp’s Social Costs, Lowe’s Instrumental Analysis, and the European Institutionalist Approach to Environmental Policy," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(2), pages 539-546, June.
    2. Veblen, Thorstein, 1904. "Theory of Business Enterprise," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number veblen1904.
    3. ., 1994. "Kapp, K. William," Chapters, in: Geoffrey M. Hodgson & Warren J. Samuels & Marc R. Tool (ed.), The Elgar Companion to Institutional and Evolutionary Economics, volume 0, chapter 85, Edward Elgar Publishing.
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    RePEc Biblio mentions

    As found on the RePEc Biblio, the curated bibliography for Economics:
    1. > Schools of Economic Thought, Epistemology of Economics > Heterodox Approaches > Ecological Economics > History of Ecological Economic Thought

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    Cited by:

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    2. Shteryo Nozharov, 2023. "Social costs of circular economy in European Union," Post-Print hal-04307150, HAL.
    3. Teixeira, Aurora A. C. & Castro e Silva, Manuela, 2015. "Relational environment and intellectual roots of 'ecological economics': An orthodox or heterodox field of research?," Economics Discussion Papers 2015-52, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    4. Remig, Moritz C., 2017. "Structured pluralism in ecological economics — A reply to Peter Söderbaum's commentary," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 533-537.
    5. O'Hara, Phillip Anthony, 2009. "Political economy of climate change, ecological destruction and uneven development," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 223-234, December.
    6. Marcin Olkiewicz & Anna Olkiewicz & Radosław Wolniak & Adam Wyszomirski, 2021. "Effects of Pro-Ecological Investments on an Example of the Heating Industry—Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-24, September.
    7. Francesco Calise & Massimo Dentice D’Accadia & Carlo Barletta & Vittoria Battaglia & Antun Pfeifer & Neven Duic, 2017. "Detailed Modelling of the Deep Decarbonisation Scenarios with Demand Response Technologies in the Heating and Cooling Sector: A Case Study for Italy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-33, October.
    8. Valentinov, Vladislav, 2014. "K. William Kapp's theory of social costs: A Luhmannian interpretation," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 28-33.
    9. Farrell, Katharine N. & Löw Beer, David, 2019. "Producing the ecological economy: A study in developing fiduciary principles supporting the application of flow-fund consistent investment criteria for sovereign wealth funds," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 1-1.
    10. Joshua Farley & Dakota Walker & Bryn Geffert & Nina Chandler & Lauren Eisel & Murray Friedberg & Dominic Portelli, 2024. "Creating a Transnational Green Knowledge Commons for a Socially Just Sustainability Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-19, August.
    11. Óscar Carpintero, 2013. "When Heterodoxy Becomes Orthodoxy: Ecological Economics in The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(5), pages 1287-1314, November.
    12. Legese, Getachew & Van Assche, Kristof & Stellmacher, Till & Tekleworld, Hailemariam & Kelboro, Girma, 2018. "Land for food or power? Risk governance of dams and family farms in Southwest Ethiopia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 50-59.
    13. Remig, Moritz C., 2015. "Unraveling the veil of fuzziness: A thick description of sustainability economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 194-202.

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