Economy-Ecology Interaction: Do Neoclassical Environmental Economics and Ecological Economic Thought Complement Each Other?

Abstract

In this study, it is aimed to review the methods of conceptualizing the relationship between economy and environment of two contemporary economic approaches - Neoclassical Environmental Economics and Ecological Economics. Within the discipline of economics, there is an open debate about environmental problems between the neoclassical environmental economics and the rapidly developing ecological economics school. Also, the environmental economy and the ecological economy share the common aim of understanding the human-economy environment interaction in order to make economies sustainable. To achieve this aim, these two perspectives use different types of analytical frameworks and are opposed to each other on many fundamental theoretical and methodological issues. While environmental economics advances in neoclassical analytical approach, ecological economics seeks solutions to economic problems by adopting 'diversified approaches' that widen the gap between the two economic thought. In this framework, it is tried to be evaluated whether ecological economy represents a different and alternative idea to neoclassical environmental economy. The study emphasizes the divergence between the two perspectives and investigates whether there is complementarity between these two perspectives regarding the relationship between economy and environment.

Keywords

• Ecological Economics
• Environmental Economics
• Economic History

Ekonomi-Ekoloji Etkileşimi: Neoklasik Çevre İktisadı İle Ekolojik İktisadi Düşünce Birbirini Tamamlıyor Mu?

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, iki çağdaş ekonomik yaklaşımın -Neoklasik Çevre İktisadı ve Ekolojik İktisat- teorilerinin ekonomi ve çevre ilişkisini kavramsallaştırma yöntemlerinin gözden geçirilmesi amaçlanmakta ve iki iktisadi akımın ana temalarına kısa bir bakış sağlamaktadır. Ekonomi disiplini içinde, neoklasik çevre ekonomisi ile hızla gelişen ekolojik ekonomi okulu arasında çevre sorunları ile ilgili açık bir tartışma bulunmaktadır. Aynı zamanda, çevre ekonomisi ve ekolojik ekonomi, ekonomileri sürdürülebilir kılabilmek için insan-ekonomi çevre etkileşimini anlamaya yönelik ortak hedefi paylaşmaktadır. Bu hedefe ulaşmak için, bu iki perspektif farklı türlerde analitik çerçeve kullanmakta ve birçok temel teorik ve metodolojik konuda birbirine zıt durumdadır. Çevre ekonomisi, neoklasik analitik yaklaşım içinde ilerlerken, ekolojik ekonomi, ikisi arasındaki boşluğu genişleten 'çeşitlendirilmiş bir yaklaşımları' benimseyerek ekonomik sorunlara çözüm aramaktadır. Bu çerçevede, ekolojik ekonominin neoklasik çevre ekonomisine farklı ve alternatif bir düşünceyi temsil edip etmediğini değerlendirilmeye çalışılmaktadır. Çalışmada, iki bakış açısı arasındaki ayrışma vurgulanmakta ve bu iki bakış açısı arasında ekonomi ve çevre ilişkisine dair tamamlayıcılık olup olmadığını araştırılmaktadır.

Keywords

• Ekolojik İktisat
• Çevre Ekonomisi
• İktisat Tarihi

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