Economics and consciousness. From Having to Being

Conscious Economy for Human Dignity and Well-Being

What is the purpose of economics if not to expand the possibilities of a dignified human life?

The conscious economy invites readers to look beyond economic figures, models, and indicators. It examines the ideas behind money, markets, property, labor, growth, and institutions.

In Economics and Consciousness, Mario Alejandro Gutiérrez combines economics and philosophy to explore a fundamental question: can an economy foster human flourishing while remaining materially efficient?

The book examines freedom and inequality, human passions, money, and markets. It also explores work, personal fulfillment, power, and institutions. Finally, it considers the ecological limits of economic growth.

The “Cave Experiment” provides a unifying thread throughout the discussion. It illustrates how material differences can develop into dependence, power, and domination.

Rather than rejecting markets or replacing them with the state, the author proposes a different perspective. He also avoids simply substituting one economic orthodoxy for another.

Instead, the book introduces the concept of a conscious economy. This approach places human dignity and genuine freedom at its center. It also emphasizes responsibility, cooperation, equity, sufficiency, and regeneration.

From this perspective, growth, property, technology, and markets are means rather than ends. Their value depends on how well they serve human life.

Economics and Consciousness invites readers to reconsider the meaning of progress. Ultimately, it presents a vision of economics that supports human flourishing while respecting social and ecological limits.