Human Happiness and Economic Growth: The Easterlin Paradox

I originally wrote this article in October 2020 – better to publish it here now than have it sit on my hard drive forever!

So Australia has officially entered its first recession in 29 years. Heads are hanging in parliament and a chorus of concern is rising. But the most important question is not being asked: what is the purpose of it all?

Since antiquity some philosophers and religious leaders, in both the East and West, have held that the final purpose of a human life is happiness. Buddha […]

How Big Should the Economy Be?

How Big Should The Economy Be?

This article was originally published in January 2020 in the Echo here.

Anyone who has never studied economics would be excused for the common-sense belief that the economy cannot grow forever, but those who have been indoctrinated with an economics education know otherwise. The standard model of economic growth that they learn is independent of resources, so, they believe, there is no limit to an economy’s size. Sound strange? The key point to toppling this dogma is knowing that the economy is a real thing, requiring real resources to increase the amount […]