Political economy studies how humans behave in a society.
What separates political economy from sciences that study human behavior? There are many aspects of human nature to discuss, each with their own fields of study. Sociology studies how groups of people interact. Evolutionary Psychologists discuss how the human brain has evolved to function in the modern world. Political Philosophers work to optimize states and governments’ ability to provide security, equality, and prosperity for all of its citizens. Each of these countless fields give perspectives on how humans behave, but Political Economists are like the meta version of this: they compile all of these different features and perspective on the most important discussions of all: educating people on how to better society NOW, in a modern setting. Political Economy is one of the few fields that can make predictions and see immediate results, so abstract theories can quickly become realities. These, in turn, generate evidence used to grant credibility to the greatest thinkers in human history.
Political Economists are a collection of scientists, philosophers, and more of the people who have come closest to painting a complete picture of human society and have written their own ideas on how to better it. By studying all of their perspectives, we can formulate a meta-picture of human society that best describes our reality, and use these models to take our best guesses on how these penultimate principles can be used to solve our specific modern problems like racial inequality, political corruption, and economic ruin.
The first step for anyone looking to study Political Economy is learning the history of the many people and places in the world to understand their current situations. The average person demands an equal amount of academic attention as the great thinkers. Being hyper-aware of these modern truths is the first step in solving the world’s immediate problems. What could be more important?