[经济学]2 Efficiency_ Exchange_ and Comparative Advantage.pdf

“The Economic Way of Thinking” 12th Edition Chapter 2 Efficiency, Exchange, and Comparative Advantage 学习目的 •了解物品和经济效率的概念 •掌握专业化分工和比较优势原理 1 Chapter Outline Introduction Goods and Bads （好东西和坏东西） The Myth of Material Wealth Trade Creates Wealth Is it Worth It? Efficiency and Values 补充：局限条件（constraints ） 补充：合理/理性和不合理/非理性 2 Chapter Outline Recognizing Tradeoffs: Comparing Opportunity Costs of Production The Gains from Specialization and Exchange Why Specialize? From Individual Trade to International Trade and Back Again 3 Chapter Outline Transactions Costs （交易费用） Incentives to Reduce Transactions Costs: Middlemen （中间人） Middlemen Create Information Markets as Discovery Processes （市场作为 发现的过程） Appendix – Economic Growth 4 Introduction There had long been a deep-seated bias that nothing can really be gained through mere exchange Agriculture and manufacturing are genuinely productive They seem to create something new, something additional. But trade only exchanges one thing for another. It seems to follow that the merchant, who profits from trading, must be imposing some kind of tax on the community. Thus the old hostility toward the merchant. 5 Introduction This chapter explores these questions: Who profits from trading? Does trade inc