Economic analysis underpins and informs economic decision-making, even if there is a lengthy lag between economic analysis and its gradual absorption into economic debate. Once established as common sense, a text of economic analysis becomes...

Economic analysis underpins and informs economic decision-making, even if there is a lengthy lag between economic analysis and its gradual absorption into economic debate. Once established as common sense, a text of economic analysis becomes incredibly powerful, because it delineates not only what is the object of knowledge but also what it is sensible to talk about or suggest. If one thinks and acts outside the framework of the dominant text of economic analysis, he risks more than simply the judgment that his recommendations are wrong; his entire moral attitude may be ridiculed or seen as dangerous just because his theoretical assumptions are deemed unrealistic. Therefore, defining common sense and, in essence, what is 'reality' and 'realistic' is the ultimate act of political power. Economic analysis does not simply explain or predict, it tells us what possibilities exist for human action and intervention; it defines both our explanatory possibilities and our moral and practical horizons. Hence, ontology and epistemology matter, and the stakes are far more considerable than at first sight seem to be the case. This is the main idea developed in the following chapters, as Dr. Laos leads readers through a pioneering way of looking at political economy.

The ideas expressed in this book were shaped by my work as a political and economic consultant, by my academic research and by methodic observations of different countries and organizations. My conclusions from the previous activities are the...

The ideas expressed in this book were shaped by my work as a political and economic consultant, by my academic research and by methodic observations of different countries and organizations. My conclusions from the previous activities are the following: (i) mainstream, 'normal' Economics and Management, as academic disciplines, are, to a large extent, fixated in obsolete ontological and epistemological assumptions; (ii) the academic disciplines of Economics and Management need to be thoroughly re-evaluated (and revised) with respect to the epistemological and ontological advances that took place in philosophy and the natural sciences in the 20th century; (iii) there is a critical yet elusive dependence of economics and policy analysis on philosophical questions; (iv) economic analysis must be focused on the relationship between the reality of the world as a tank of opportunities and the reality of consciousness as a tank of intentions, and, therefore, it must stress and investigate the submissiveness of reality to the intentionality of human consciousness. In this book, I attempt to establish a new 'school' of economic and managerial thought, which I call Kairological Economics, after the name of Kairos, the ancient Greek god of opportunity. Fortunately, I was able to test my ideas against the critical argument of my interdisciplinary colleagues in several American and European academic institutions and of my associates in the steering committee of the 'Kairological Society ' Reality Restructuring Resources Ltd'�, an international philosophical and policy-oriented think-tank and consultancy organization. Especially my cooperation with the distinguished business and financial consultants Mr Leonidas Dimitroulias (C.E.O., Protypi Economici S.A.), Mr Stamatis Kavvadias (Director, Hellenic Investments S.A.), Mr Theodore Chouliaras (C.E.O., Upmaritime London Ltd), Mr Theodoros Chrysis (Member of the Board, Sofia Finance AD), Mr John Moustos (Investment Banking Director, CapitalOne Investment Group) and Mr Panos Panayotou has been a very pleasant and creative experience. The structure of the present book is based on the research work that I conducted as a lecturer at the workshop 'Charting Troubled Waters: Policy Analysis for Uncertain Times'� that was organized by RAND Corporation scholars at the Hellenic American Union in Athens, Greece, in May 2012. In the context of the previous workshop, my communication with Dr Warren E. Walker, Professor of Policy Analysis at the Delft University of Technology and Operations Research scholar associated with the RAND Corporation, Dr Adnan Rahman, Principal and Director of the International Division of Cambridge Systematics and former Director of Business Development at RAND Europe, Mr Marc Leipoldt, Managing Director of Global Risk Advisory Services, Mr Dimitris Vayenas, IT expert with rich industrial experience, Dr John M. Nomikos, Director of the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS), and other people from industry, government, banking and academia has helped me to chart thoroughly and effectively the major epistemological, ontological and moral problems that determine the development of policy analysis and economic thought and to define more sharply my theses. Nicolas Laos President and Founder, Kairological Society ' Reality Restructuring Resources Ltd

Preface Chapter 1: The Philosophical Underpinnings Of Economic Analysis And Kairicity Chapter 2: Economic Laws Chapter 3: Communication Among Conscious Beings And The Dynamics Of The Economic System C

Preface Chapter 1: The Philosophical Underpinnings Of Economic Analysis And Kairicity Chapter 2: Economic Laws Chapter 3: Communication Among Conscious Beings And The Dynamics Of The Economic System Chapter 4: Economic Assumptions Chapter 5: Insufficient Economic Assumptions And The Problem Of Unemployment Chapter 6: Insufficient Economic Assumptions And The Problem Of Inflation Chapter 7: The Difficulties Of Refutation: The Development Of Knowledge In Economics Chapter 8: Formal Methods Of Analysis In Economics Chapter 9: Rationality And Economics: From Rationality To Kairicity Chapter 10: Efficient-Market Hypothesis, Behavioral Finance And Kairological Finance Chapter 11: Kairological Growth Theory Chapter 12: Kairicity, Distributive Justice And The Ethical Content Of Economics Chapter 13: Kairology As A Research Program For Personal And Social Autonomy Chapter 14: Kairicity And Network Society Chapter 15: Institutions And Economic Activity Chapter 16: The Eurozone, Totemism And Democratic Deficit Chapter 17: Philosophy Of History And Comparative Economics Chapter 18: The Democratic Microstructures And Macrostructures Of Kairological Economics Bibliography Index