During the course students will learn to question the rhetoric used in contemporary economic discussions. Students will also learn to defend their views of economics with a help of a group exercise.
1) Learn about an alternative vision for the current dominant view an economics 2) Acquire problem solving and group working skills to address complex socio-economic challenges.

The course introduces students to the field of ecological economics. The field of ecological economics is transdisciplinary by nature and as therefore applicable to economic, social, and environmental problem solving.  Students are offered a view to economics that differs fundamentally from the main school of economic thought known as neoclassical economics. First, the students are introduced to the vision that ecological economics offers with concepts such as full versus empty world, and circular economy. The students are then familiarized with different policy tools for guiding development towards a sustainable scale, such as Pigouvian taxes and caps on income and wealth. During the course students are also introduced to methods for measuring not only efficiency but also a sustainable scale and just distribution with in a system.

Evaluation will be done by exam in the end of the course. In addition the group exercise will be evaluated by student peer review method.  

Book: Daly, Herman and Farley, Josh. 2011.  Ecological Economics: Principles and Applications.  Second Edition. Washington, DC: Island Press.   

Articles distributed during the course.

KATVAA11 Business Ethics (5 ECTS) course (or corresponding studies) is a compulsory preceding course. You can complete Business Ethics course also as independent study before or during KATVAA15 course. You will receive a grade for KATVAA15 course only after completing Business Ethics course or showing proof of corresponding studies.