Introduction to Economics

The term "economy" originates from the Greek "Oikonomos," meaning "one who manages a household."
Economics examines how societies manage scarce resources to convert them into goods and services, meeting unlimited wants.
Economics can be viewed as both an art and a science, emphasizing its complexity in real-world scenarios.

Microeconomics
- Focuses on individual consumers, firms, and families.
- Tools include demand and supply analysis.
- Covers topics like product pricing, consumption, and economic welfare.
- Important for determining prices and factors of production: land, labor, entrepreneurship, and capital.
- Limitations stem from unrealistic assumptions about human behavior in a social science context.
Macroeconomics
- Studies the behavior of entire economies on national or international scales.
- Utilizes tools such as aggregate demand and supply.
- Addresses national income, general price levels, unemployment, and poverty.
- Aims for economic stability and problem resolution at a macro level.
- Limitations include discrepancies between aggregate trends and individual circumstances.

Early civilizations, including those in the Middle East and China, utilized complex financial concepts.
Hesiod (8th Century BCE) authored "Work and Days," providing guidelines for farm management.
Xenophon, an Athenian, wrote "Oikonomikon" on estate management.
Aristotle expanded on Hesiod’s theories in "Politics."
Ibn Khaldun (14th Century) discussed concepts of labor and trade in "Al-Muqaddimah."
Adam Smith published "An Inquiry into the Nature and Cause of the Wealth of Nations" in 1776, establishing foundational economic theory and introducing the "Invisible Hand."
Influences from Thomas Malthus and Karl Marx in the 19th Century addressed issues of resource scarcity and equitable distribution.

19th Century economists like William Jevons, Carl Menger, and Léon Walras contributed to the evolution of economic thought.
Economic downturns, such as the 1999 stock market crash, highlighted the need for government intervention, as per theorists like John Maynard Keynes.
The mid-20th Century saw the development of mathematical modeling and the principles of efficient markets.

Individuals face trade-offs and must make decisions that often involve opportunity costs.
Rational decision-making occurs at the margin, favoring choices that provide greater benefits at lower costs.
People respond to incentives, typically opting for actions that reward them economically.

Trade can enhance welfare, allowing for efficient resource allocation.
Markets serve as effective venues for organizing economic activities, both physically and virtually.
Government involvement can enhance market operations, facilitating smoother transactions and economic interactions.