For a New Political Economy

Bernard Lonergan's economic writings span forty years and represent one of the most important intellectual achievements of the twentieth century. Unfortunately they have been inaccessible outside of the Lonergan research community as the majority of them have not been formally published, and exist only as a group of unfinished essays and material for courses on economics taught by Lonergan. The publication of For a New Political Economy, along with its companion volume, Macroeconomic Dynamics: An Essay in Circulation Analysis (Collected Works of Bernard Lonergan, Volume 15), seeks to remedy this by bringing together the various elements of Lonergan's economic thought. Lonergan's concept of economics differs radically from that of contemporary economists and represent a major paradigm shift. He takes a fresh look at fundamental variables and breaks from centralist theory and practice, offering a uniquely democratic perspective on surplus income and non-political control. For a New Political Economy is a collection of drafts, notes, and essays written by Lonergan in the 1940s on various aspects of economics. This volume provides the intellectual underpinnings of ideas more fully explored in Macroeconomic Dynamics.