SUNY Series in Environmental Public Policy: The Illusion of Choice

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The market economy effectively addresses certain aspects of human life while neglecting others. It is attuned to values that can be commodified but overlooks those that cannot, such as the integrity of nature and the quality of human relationships. While the market measures costs and benefits for individual transactions, it fails to recognize the broader impacts on families, communities, and the biosphere, which are essential for our well-being. Andrew Bard Schmookler explores how the market system operates according to its own logic, influencing landscapes, social institutions, and human values to fulfill its purposes. This perspective sheds light on the challenges faced by Americans striving for a more humane society and offers tools to reclaim agency over powerful systems. Schmookler presents a compelling critique of the market, grounded in mainstream economics rather than Marxist theories of exploitation. He advocates for humanizing the market by correcting its biases and enhancing the democratic process, rather than seeking revolution. Ultimately, he suggests that we can add a crucial choice to the myriad options the market offers: the choice to shape the society we truly desire.