Fuller channels C.S. Lewis in new book ‘Mere Economics’

Dr. Caleb S. Fuller

The title of Grove City College Associate Professor of Economics Dr. Caleb S. Fuller ’13 and co-author Art Carden’s new book gives readers a pretty good idea of what the economists were shooting for.

“Mere Economics: Lessons for and from the Ordinary Business of Life,” released this week, pays homage to a book that has provided millions of believers with a winsome and deeply thought-out case for Christianity.

“Maybe it wasn't wise to invite a comparison of our writing to C.S. Lewis, but we wanted to communicate the basic, orthodox principles of economics in a way that resembled what he did for the basic, orthodox principles of the Christian faith,” Fuller said.

Like Lewis’ seminal “Mere Christianity,” “Mere Economics” distills the core principles of its subject and aims to demystify them for lay readers. It also shares a Christian worldview, held by Fuller and Carden, an economics professor at Samford University.

The authors trace the origins of mainline economic thought to that worldview. “The 15th- and 16^th-century Spanish Scholastics … correctly reasoned that God was not going to leave the social world a chaotic mess. They recognized a ‘humane science’ reflecting the mind of God while rendering the social world intelligible. That science was and is economics,” they write.

At its essence, economics is a commentary on three basic facts about the social world, Fuller said. “First, people pursue goals. Second, they do so in the context of scarcity. Third, though facts one and two seemingly condemn the human race to an abject and destitute existence, prosperity is possible and marked prosperity has arisen on a global scale in roughly the last two centuries,” Fuller said. “Economics investigates the social conditions that enable (and which impede) such a staggering take-off … And it examines the social conditions which make life in this vale of tears possible.”

“Mere Economics” was not written purely for the academic audience, Fuller said. “Despite their profundity … the basic principles of economics aren't hard to grasp, and anyone who claims otherwise is selling a bill of goods,” he said, citing economist Frank Knight, who said, “... the really important things that economics has to teach are things that people would see for themselves if they are willing to see.”

Economics is also “tremendously” humbling, according to Fuller, “because it reveals that each of us is heavily reliant not only on our literal neighbors, but also on a vast network of strangers we will never meet.”

As well as explaining economic principles, Fuller said he and Carden hope to inspire the same enthusiasm they have for the subject in their readers. “We want to show that the ‘dismal science’ is anything but dismal. We think economics is loads of fun, so think of ‘Mere Economics’ as a love letter to the intellectual adventure that economics has been for us,” Fuller said.

Advanced reviews for “Mere Economics” are glowing:

• “Art Carden and Caleb Fuller have written a book that provides an extremely accessible introduction to fundamental economics, and links it in eye-opening ways to Scripture. They do it in a way that demonstrates deep learning and understanding—not just of economics but also of theology and moral philosophy. This is much more than a text for introductory economics teaching but also a sustained reflection on how Christians may relate to the market order and the theory of this order.” – Nicolai J. Foss, professor of strategy, Copenhagen Business School.
• “Did you think economics was boring or inscrutable—or useless? Then you haven’t read ‘Mere Economics.’ Do you think economics is depressing, immoral, or dismal? Then you need to read ‘Mere Economics.’ If you do, you may be surprised to discover how much of our lives, both historically and in the present, the simple principles of economics can explain. You may also be surprised how much our lives have improved over the last 200 years, and how much of that economics can explain too. And you may be even more surprised to discover how consistent a sound economics is with Christian principles of dignity, personhood, purpose, and prosperity. Art Carden and Caleb Fuller have done us a great service by explaining economic elements and errors and having done so not just with relatable examples and illustrations but with wit and even humor. An enlightening and engaging book that somehow also manages to inspire. A delight to read!” – James R. Otteson, John T. Ryan Jr., professor of business ethics, University of Notre Dame.

“Mere Economics” is available from publisher B&H Academic and online booksellers.

For more about Economics at Grove City College, visit www.gcc.edu/econ.

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