21.03.2025
BEP 2025 02, Georgy Ganev, "Has the Barter Theory of the Origins of Money Been Rejected?" (pdf)
Full Text
Abstract:
No, the original barter theory of the origins of money (“the barter story” for short) has not been rejected. What has been rejected is a narrowly specific, and apparently parentless, version of the barter story based on the standard neoclassical synthesis modelling assumptions of homo œconomicus and fully-fledged market economies. As in all other myths, the myth of the rejection of the barter story contains a grain of truth, namely, that the actually lived human communities are much more complex and nuanced than assumed by the standard neoclassical synthesis economics rendition of the story. These grains of truth, as valuable and helpful as they can be for the improvement of economics, cannot change the conclusion that the original barter story remains standing.
Keywords: barter; money; origins of money
JEL Classification Codes: A12; B15; B29; E49; N10
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Издаваната от Стопанския факултет и Центъра за икономически теории и стопански политики към СУ "Св. Климент Охридски" поредица от дискусионни материали (working paper series) Bulgarian Economic Papers (bep.bg) е индексирана от EconPapers на RePEc (Research Papers in Economics) и CEEOL (Central and Eastern European Online Library).
В поредицата (ISSN: 2367-7082) се приемат текстове в областта на икономиката и стопанското управление с фокус върху проблеми на Югоизточна Европа и бившите стопанства в преход, без да се изключват глобални проблеми на икономическата теория и практика. Изследванията могат да имат емпиричен характер или да развиват и прилагат теоретични модели.