PRIVATE CAPITALIST FUNDAMENTALISM, ECONOMIC LIBERALISM AND ECONOMIC SCIENCE

Neoliberalizam se, kao najnovija varijanta ekonomskoga liberalizma, u posljednjih tridesetak godina, nametnuo svijetu kao dominantna ekonomsko-politička doktrina društvenoga razvitka, osmišljen prvenstveno sa stajališta interesa i slobode djelovanja privatno-vlasničkoga kapitala, nudeći se kao projekt ekonomske organizacije svijeta na tržišnim osnovama. On zagovara privatizaciju i deregulaciju ekonomskih aktivnosti, liberalizaciju međuna-rodnih ekonomskih tokova i sustavno smanjivanje državnih funkcija u obla-sti ekonomije. Raspad komunizma, kao mogućega alternativnoga sustava i potreba vraćanja mnogih zemalja sa državnim upravljanjem gospodarstva na tržišni sustav, dao je liberalnom pokretu nov snažan zamah. Evoluciju takvih stavova pratio je i podržavao i razvitak ekonomske znanosti, a njezin mu je dominantni smjer služio kao značajna teorijska i ideološka potpora, pa je svoj smisao nalazio u racionalizaciji liberalne doktrine i prakse.Ideološki savez liberalizma i ekonomske znanosti nije, međutim, ostao bez štete za ekonomsku znanost. Ona je time preuzela i liberalne ideološko-političke postulate kao obvezne za ekonomsku znanost uopće, sužavajući je tako na jedan povijesno poseban sustav i na njegovu praksu ekonomske organizacije, proglašujući sve druge povijesnim zabludama. Time se suzio prostor kritičkoga promišljanja suvremenih realnih problema svjetskoga razvitka, a ekonomsku je znanost lišio velikoga dijela njezine intelektualne tradicije, koji se razvio i pokazao u njezinim legitimnim i korisnim znanstve-nim postignućima. Mnogi smjerovi ekonomske znanosti, znanstveni status kojih nije nikada valjano osporen, odrezan je tako od «standardne» varijante i gurnut na marginu ekonomske misli, obrazovanja i praktične primjene. Ideološki je dogmatizam tako postao «standardni» obrazac ekonomskoga mišljenja.No, da bi paradoks bio veći, liberalna koncepcija ekonomije nije u po-vijesti ekonomske misli ništa novo. Ta je koncepcija, razvijena na svršetku 18. i na početku 19. stoljeća na osnovi učenja Adama Smitha, u velikoj mje-ri određena posebnim osobnim i povijesnim okolnostima njezina autora i vremena, i u mnogim je aspektima osporavana od samoga početka, kako sa stajališta njezine vlastite unutarnje logike, tako i sa stajališta njezine nespo-sobnosti da dade adekvatne odgovore na izazove vremena, a posebno krup-nih ekonomskih poremećaja i socijalnih sukoba. Mnogi alternativni smjero-vi nastali su na osporavanju liberalne doktrine i na nuđenju adekvatnijih i prihvatljivijih pristupa i odgovora. Prikazujući povijesni nastanak i razvitak liberalne doktrine, jednako kao i ograničenost njezine suvremene primjene, autor se zalaže za reafi r-maciju slobode i širine ekonomskih istraživanja u širokom povijesnom i društvenom kontekstu, odbacujući ideološke pristranosti. Suočenoj i danas s ne manje zahtijevnim izazovima, to bi ekonomskoj znanosti vratilo vitalnost i znanstveni ugled za praktično rješavanje složenih društvenih problema i smanjilo bi nezadovoljstvo mnogih istakutih ekonomista njezinom sadašnjom ulogom.The neoliberalism, as the new variant of economic liberalism, in the last three deca-des was imposed as the dominant economico-political doctrine of the social development, conceived primarily from the standpoint of interests and freedom of action of the privately owned capital, presented as a universal project of economic organization of the world. It is advocating privatization and deregulation of economic activities, free circulation of inter-national economic flows and systematic limitation of the state functions in the economic field. The dissolution of communism, as an possible alternative social system and a need of returning of several countries with state management of the economy to the market system, gave to the liberal movement a new large sway. The evolution of such stances was accompanied and itself supported similar development of economic science, its prevailing stream joining efforts, offering a theoretical rationalization of the liberal doctrine and practice.The ideological alliance of liberalism and economic science, however, could not have passed without serious harm to the economic science. It was forced to adopt liberal ideologico-political postulates as obligatory for the economic science in general, thus li-miting it to one historically specific social system and practice of economic organization, by qualifying all other social systems as delusions. In this way, the room for critical considerations of contemporary real problems of the world developments has been narrowed, and the economic science has been deprived of a large part of its intelectual heritage, which was developed and proved as its legitimate and useful scientific achievements. Many streams of economic science, scientific status of which never was convincingly challenged, were cut off from the «standard» stream and pushed on the margin of economic thought, education and practical application. The ideological dogmatism so has become the «standard» model of economic thinking.To make the paradox greater, the liberal conception of the economy in the history of economic thought is not new. This conception, developed at the end of 18th century, on the basis of Adam Smith’s teachings, in a large extent was determined by particular personal and age-dependent circumstances, and in many respects disputed from the very begining, for its internal logical inconsistencies and for its failure to give satisfactory responses to the great economic disruptions and social confl icts of the age. Several alternative theoretical developments sprang from the rejection of the liberal doctrine and offering more adequate and more convincing approaches and principles. After having presented historical origins and development of the liberal doctrine, as well as limits of its application to the conditions of the present times, the author is pleading for the reafi rmation of freeddom and diversity of economic enqueries in a large historical and social context, without ideological prejudices. To the economic science, facing today no less pressing demands, this would reestablish vitality and scientific standing for solving complex social problems and diminish dissatisfaction of many eminent economists vith its present role