The solutions and tools generally offered to policymakers on environmental issues - such as carbon pricing and environmental taxation - most often emanate from neoclassical economists. This book shows that the tools of these economists are ineffective for the job and must be replaced by methods from the sphere of ecological accounting. The work has four main themes: First, the book provides a presentation and criticism of the tools traditionally proposed by neoclassical economists. Adopting a historical perspective, this section shows how these tools have evolved over time and explores some of the theoretical criticisms which have been leveled at them. Second, the book shows how mainstream economists have moved away from more pragmatic and efficient solutions because of their ignorance of the realities of management, in particular, corporate accounting, and their ideologically driven desire to avoid attacking the capitalist model. Third, a toolkit of anti-capitalist ecological accounting is outlined, showcasing the distinct advantages of this approach for the environmental crises. And finally the book considers the concrete possibilities of a rapid application of these new tools to combat the immediate threats we are facing. The book will interest all readers who want to understand how anti-capitalist ecological accounting can contribute to cooling and saving the planet, in particular readers in ecological economics and accounting.

Starting with the first "scientific" economists such as Cantillon (1755) and Quesnay (1758) and ending with Piketty (2019), this book explores the treatment of the concept of capital in the history of accounting and economic thought. The work provides a rare juxtaposition of the reasoning, discourse and writings of accountants and economists. With regard to 'capital', this approach highlights the ongoing struggle between these "uncongenial twins" - as Kenneth Boulding put it - for primacy in analysing, and utilising, capitalism. But if they are certainly "uncongenial", the book also argues that it is wrong to ever classify these two disciplines as "twins" because they have taken very different paths ever since scientism came to dominate in economics and ethical and moral considerations were put to one side. This book will be of significant interest to readers to history of economic thought, critical accounting and heterodox economics.

The strict conversation of financial capital allows accountants to preserve capitalism in its current form. Thus, building a more humane economy will require a new accounting model. Humanitarian Ecological Economics and Accounting: Capitalism, Ecology and Democracy argues for the adoption of a CARE model: comprehensive accounting in respect of ecology. This new model will take the traditional weapons of capitalist accounting and turn them against capitalism, with a goal to protect and conserve human and natural capital within the framework of a democratic society. The CARE model has been conceived as the potential basis of a new type of market economy and of a new type of governance of firms and nations. Additionally, this allows for a new conception of capital, cost and profit that helps with moves towards a society of the commons. The first part of the book explores the reconstruction of accounting and economics from the ground up, outlining the theoretical basis for the model. The second part of the book explores the transformation of the governance of firms and nations. Finally, an additional section is dedicated to the conception of a new model of national accounting. This book will be of significant interest to readers of ecological economics, critical accounting and heterodox economics.

Almost all economists, whether classical, neoclassical or Marxist, have failed in their analyses of capitalism to consider the underpinning systems of accounting. This book draws attention to this lacuna, focusing specifically on the concept of capital: a major concept that dominates all teaching and practice in both economics and management. It is argued that while for the practitioners of capitalism - in accounting and business - the capital in their accounts is a debt to be repaid (or a thing to be kept), for economists, it has been considered a means (or even a resource or an asset) intended to be worn out. This category error has led to economists failing to comprehend the true nature of capitalism. On this basis, this book proposes a new definition of capitalism that brings about considerable changes in the attitude to be had towards this economic system, in particular, the means to bring about its replacement. This book will be of significant interest to readers of political economy, history of economic thought, critical accounting and heterodox economics.

Almost all economists, whether classical, neoclassical or Marxist, have failed in their analyses of capitalism to consider the underpinning systems of accounting. This book draws attention to this lacuna, focusing specifically on the concept of capital: a major concept that dominates all teaching and practice in both economics and management.

It is argued that while for the practitioners of capitalism – in accounting and business – the capital in their accounts is a debt to be repaid (or a thing to be kept), for economists, it has been considered a means (or even a resource or an asset) intended to be worn out. This category error has led to economists failing to comprehend the true nature of capitalism. On this basis, this book proposes a new definition of capitalism that brings about considerable changes in the attitude to be had towards this economic system, in particular, the means to bring about its replacement.

This book will be of significant interest to readers of political economy, history of economic thought, critical accounting and heterodox economics.

Table of Contents

Foreword: Capital and social costs as outcomes of struggles with truth

Sebastian Berger

Introduction

PART I The battle about the concept of capital

1 How a capitalist accounting constitution dominates the world economy

2 The difficulty of economists in understanding the concept of capital in accounting

3 The truth about the concept of capital in accounting

4 The victory of the capital–debt conception in accounting

5 The mystery of the misconception of business capital in economics

6 Two false friends of the capital–debt concept

Pacioli and Fisher

Conclusion of Part I: Two conflicting accounting models of capital

PART II Economists and their concepts of capital

7 The traditional classification of economists in materialist and fundist views

8 Proposal for a new classification of the conceptions of capital in economics

9 The issue of human capital

Conclusion of Part II

PART III Towards a new definition of capitalism

10 Private property as an element (or not) of capitalism

11 Markets as elements (or not) of capitalism

12 The role of money and finance in capitalism

13 Is the separation of capitalist and household production a criterion for capitalism?

14 Is the wage system an element of the definition of capitalism?

15 The nature and reality of capitalist power: The issue of managerialism

Conclusion of Part III and the first volume: A new definition of modern capitalism

A box set of 12 Norman Wisdom classics. In 'On the Beat' Wisdom stars as a bumbling Scotland Yard car park attendant who gets his chance to be a real policeman after he accidentally catches some crooks. His advantage lies in the fact that he physically resembles one of the ringleaders. In 'Man of the Moment' the bumbling Norman (Wisdom) accidentally becomes the British delegate to an important international conference in Geneva. Hilarious chaos and amusing misunderstandings ensue. In 'Trouble in Store' Wisdom is taken on as a shop assistant in a department store. His ambition is to become a window dresser, and he falls in love at first sight with his dream-girl, Sally. After a disastrous start (chasing a bus on roller skates, entering a shop girl's hostel, the usual sort of thing), events conspire to make Norman an unlikely hero. In 'Up in the World' Wisdom stars as the bumbling window cleaner to Lady Banderville. He has to cope with the pranks of her son, Sir Reggie, but cleans up when he confounds a gang of kidnappers. In 'The Square Peg' Norman Pitkin (Wisdom) is keen to help the war effort, and turns out to be a dead ringer for an enemy general. Joining up with his colleague, Mr Grimsdale, he is posted to France as part of a team repairing the damaged roads. Captured by the enemy, he turns his uncanny resemblance to his own advantage and comes home a hero. In 'Follow a Star' Wisdom plays a shop worker (imaginatively also named Norman, as indeed is every character he has ever portrayed) who dreams of becoming a famous singer. His attempts are, of course, disastrous, until he is encouraged by music teacher Miss Dobson, and a crippled girl named Judy. In 'The Bulldog Breed' Norman Puckle (Wisdom) is a grocer who joins the Navy and finds himself chosen to man a rocket flight into outer space. After Norman brings his own brand of madcap mayhem to the training process, his superiors begin to suspect that they might have picked the wrong person for the mission. Also starring Ian Hunter and Edward Chapman. Whilst in 'One Good Turn' Norman (Wisdom) works at the orphanage, and promises that he will buy one of its charges a model car. But how can he get the money? Proving himself equally incompetent at all jobs, he manages to raise a few laughs along the way in his attempts to earn the cash and not disappoint the little sprite. In 'A Stitch in Time' Star Wisdom plays an apprentice butcher trying to help a sick child. His bumbling efforts end up with him being banned from visiting little orphan Lindy, but Norman will go to any lengths to keep in touch with his young charge. Whilst in 'Just My Tuck', determined to win the heart of his beautiful neighbour, Norman (Wisdom) decides he wants to buy her a diamond necklace - but how can he possibly afford it? A solution offers itself when he goes to a bookmaker's, learns the intricacies of the accumulator bet, and sets out on a major winning streak. However, whenever Norman is involved things are never quite that simple, and soon enough our hapless hero finds himself in deep trouble, creating havoc at the local racetrack. In 'The Early Bird' Wisdom plays a milkman caught up in a feud between the small, traditional company that employs him and a large, modern dairy planning a hostile takeover. Will Norman, in his typically inept fashion, manage to save his company from the onset of modernity? Finally in 'Press For Time' Norman Shields (Wisdom) is an accident-prone young reporter, who only got the job because his grandfather (also played by Wisdom) happens to be the Prime Minister. Hilarious chaos ensues when Norman is sent to cover a beauty contest. Wisdom also appears in drag as a Suffragette called Emily.