Thanks for downloading this podcast from the BBC, though it might not be what you expect.

Some of the people behind more or less have been busy making another series, The Story

of Economics, presented by Michael Blasland and broadcast in three parts from Wednesday

the 16th of March.

Since more or less is off air, we thought you might like this instead.

You can find out more about this series at bbc.co.uk slash radio 4.

Allow me to introduce myself.

I am economic man or homo economicer straight from the economics textbook and out for a spot

of shopping.

So, I have what economists call my very own scale of preferences here's the list and given

the price in light of my resources, I aim to maximize my utility and since I'm rational

really I am I calculate that'll be 47 of the x minus the percent.

My individual self-interest is best served by that one.

Pack it a cheese non-ion.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Now, that's a bit of a caricature of what it means to be economic man and it's hotly

debated.

In fact, like Shakespeare's Hamlet, economics is driven by two views of what it is to be

human, noble in reason or at the mercy of unruly human impulse, gluttonous lack of self-control

for example.

In this series we heard first about economics as a story of morality, then we heard the

...