Erasing the Invisible Hand : Essays on an Elusive and Misused Concept in Economics (Paperback)

Preface; 1. Adam Smith's invisible hand and the Nobel prize in economic sciences; 2. The political economy of Adam Smith; 3. On the identities and functions attributed to the invisible hand; 4. Adam Smith's History of Astronomy argument: how broadly does it apply? And where do propositions which 'sooth the imagination' come from?; 5. Conceptual and substantive issues and problems; 6. The invisible hand in an uncertain world with an uncertain language; 7. The invisible hand as knowledge; 8. The invisible hand and the economic role of government; 9. The survival requirement of Pareto optimality; 10. Conclusions and further insights.