Anthropological Boundaries of Economics

The purpose of the article is to review the hypothesis that economics as a science, at least in its utilitarian aspects, encounters certain anthropological boundaries that limit its effectiveness. The author starts his argumentation with the outlining of historical context of contemporary economics, with particular regard to the concept of homo oeconomicus. Then he argues that cultural hegemony of the Western civilisation has made the concept of economic man believable. If so, the fundamental question is what are the sources of the problems of contemporary economies? Is it possible that economics as a scientific discipline cannot answer the questions of the causes of the crisis we are observing today? In his answering the question, the author points out two reasons: – The split between economy and traditional Christian values. The author quotes a Chinese government economist Zhao Xiao – the author of an essay Market economies with Churches vs. Market Economies Without Churches, in which he formulates a thesis that the source of the Wester economic success results from the fear of the Last Judgement. ‘Market economy is effective, as it prevents one from idleness, but can also encourage people to lie and hurt others . Therefore it requires moral support’. And this is guaranteed only by Christianity. – Weakening the importance of responsibility in economic and political activity in today’s economy