Economics

Economics, according to a classical definition, is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Greek oikonomia ("management of a household, administration") from oikos ("house") and nomos ("custom" or "law"), hence "rules of the house(hold)".

For the Austrian school, Economics deals in general with the action of men to satisfy their desires, and, specifically, with the process of exchange of goods as a means for each indi­vidual to “produce” satisfactions for his desires. These goods may be tangible commodities or they may be intangible personal services. The principles of supply and demand, of price determi­nation, are exactly the same for any good, whether it is in one category or the other.

Economics and ethics

Economics is a value-free, theoretical science and as such avoids any judgment of value. It is not its task to tell people what ends they should aim at. It is a science of the means to be applied for the attainment of ends chosen, not a science of the choosing of ends. Ultimate decisions, the valuations and the choosing of ends, are beyond the scope of any science. Science never tells a man how he should act; it merely shows how a man must act if he wants to attain definite ends.

Links

• Economics on Wikipedia
• Why Economics Is Crucial for Ethics by Art Carden, April 2010
• 10 things economists won’t tell you, MarketWatch, June 2013