Ecological Ignorance in Mainstream Economics: Why does mainstream economics ignore ecology, especially in the undergraduate education that shapes the minds of young students?

This book is a product of my PhD work (2018-2021) at the University of Corsica, in the department of Economic Sciences.

My PhD thesis that asked "why does mainstream economics ignore ecology?" was an inquiry into the historical roots & causes of the ecological ignorance in mainstream (neoclassical, neoliberal) economics. Understanding these roots & causes is important to surmount the mental and institutional barriers to holistic, long-term and ecological thinking that is necessary for sustainable human life on the planet.

This book is for you, if you have questions about political economy and ecology in mind, such as:

1. What is economics, and what is it for? What are the primary features of mainstream economics?
2. How did political economy of the 19. century become first neoclassical economics, and then neoliberal economics in the 20. century?
3. Is mainstream economics a social science, or a mere business ideology posing as social science?
4. Why does the theory of mainstream economics ignore (or undermine) ecology, especially in the undergraduate education that shapes the minds of young students?
5. What is ecological literacy, and how is it acquired?
6. Which principles of ecology collide with the core assumptions and myths of mainstream economics?
7. Why and how do the institution of mainstream economics resist to change for a more holistic and pluralist teaching of economics?
8. What are the most important barriers to thinking and acting ecologically, and how can we surmount them?
9. Why and how do mainstream economists often serve to the narrow interests of big money in environmental discussions?
10. How do some multinational companies and their investors profit from the destruction of self-sufficient & sustainable (social & biological) ecosystems?
11. Why is the nature often seen as a passive (nonliving) raw material resource and dumping ground rather than the active (living) primary reproducer of our planet?
12. What are the most popular misconceptions and myths of mainstream economics, and what are their possible causes?
13. Why do we need a totally different economics theory & education for the sustainable human life & wellbeing on the planet? How should such an education look like?
14. What is the place of ecology in popular economics textbooks for undergraduate students?

About my language and writing style:
I try to explain all ideas and concepts with a readable, clear and understandable language. I refrain from using hardly understandable field-specific and esoteric jargon (without definition and explanation wherever necessary), or premature mathematics and statistics in order to create a superficial impression of "respectable science". I think, this attitude is especially important for multi-disciplinary studies like my PhD which covers fields like ecology, philosophy, economy, history, sociology and anthropology. In the "Conclusions" of this thesis, I present also other reasons why the language of economics should be understandable by everyone.

How to read this book:
I recommend reading "Introduction" (A) and "Conclusions" (D) first. These are the more flowing, easily readable sections. Then you can begin reading subchapters of "Fundamentals" (B) that interest you. The sections "Reports" (C) and "Appendix" (E), that are included in the original PhD thesis, are for more specific academic interests, or for reference. Within the text and in "References" (R) you may find links to many valuable resources (videos, books, articles) that may give you an idea about contemporary discussions in political economy and ecology.

Tunç Ali Kütükçüoglu, author