Associative economics

Associative economics is a term used variously by different people around the world. For some of these the work of Austrian philosopher and social thinker Rudolf Steiner is a reference. Steiner gave a course of lectures in 1922 in which he set out his view that with the advent of global economy, the science of economics would need to take a further step, which included an elaboration of the economic process, a more precise monetary analysis, and a clearer understanding of how, through the division of labour, the associative basis of economic life becomes apparent. Associative economics emphasizes the development of conscious coordination of producers, distributors, and consumers. It understands the global economy as a single unified domain, through which human beings meet one another's needs. It is called "associative economics" because its goal is an economic sector which is managed by associations of business corporations (industry associations) and consumer associations instead of by the “invisible hand of the market” (capitalist economics) or by the government (socialist economics).