Peter Fleming 
The Death of Homo Economicus 
Work, Debt and the Myth of Endless Accumulation

In today’s workplaces we work harder and longer, labouring under the illusion that this will bring us more wealth. As this myth becomes increasingly preposterous, it’s time to understand why we believe in it, and where it came from.



The Death of Homo Economicus explores the origin of this oppressive myth, in order to destroy it. The story begins with the creation of a fake persona labelled the ‘dollar-hunting man’, invented by economists Adam Smith and Friedrich Hayek. Today, this persona, driven by competition and ego, is used by politicians and managers to draw a veil over the terrible reality of work under capitalism.



Creeping into all aspects of life, the desire to constantly compete and accumulate must be resisted if we are to create a better way of life for all.

Зміст

Introduction: Welcome to the New Dark Ages

1. Cash Psychosis

2. Wreckage Economics

3. Why Homo Economicus Had to Die… Over and Over Again

4. The Theatre of Loss… Work

5. Microeconomics (Really Is) for Dummies

6. The Quiet Earth

Conclusion: A Marginal Model of Nothingness

Notes

Index

Про автора

Peter Fleming is Professor of Organisation Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney. He is the author of The Mythology of Work (Pluto, 2015) and The Death of Homo Economicus (Pluto, 2017).