The Cultural Codes of the Economy: How Values Affect Competition, Democracy and the Welfare of the People

An audiobook about how a system of values forms a competitive environment, influences democratic institutions, and the level of prosperity in society. At its core is a cycle of open lectures by the dean of the Faculty of Economics at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Alexander Auzan, delivered on the educational portal Arzamas. Socio-cultural economics is a modern and promising direction that considers culture as an important factor in development: the success of countries depends not only on technology and resources, but also on values, norms, and habitual patterns of people’s behavior. Each country has its own cultural code, shaped by religion, history, language, climate, agricultural practices, and other conditions.

In recent decades, economists have learned to describe cultural characteristics quantitatively and use this data to better fine-tune institutional changes, adjust cultural attitudes, and accelerate economic growth. The edition includes tables, graphs, and illustrations in PDF format— the file is available for download on the audiobook page on the website after purchase.