Issue 5, 2006

The state of economic thought in the contemporary world is presented in brief, as well as its prospects related to the development of science and technology. With regard to the anniversary of the Economic Thought Journal it is pointed out: how the Journal started; its development, activities and impact on the economic society in Bulgaria; purposefulness and main themes of publications; reviews of authors and readers.

JEL: A11; B20

The development of economic science before 1989 has been analysed. The spectrum of research works between 1948 and 1989 has been outlined, including the influence of Western theories. The change of paradigms after 1990 has been underlined; as well as new institutional structures; overcoming the international isolation of the Bulgarian economic thought. The main thematic and theoretic and methodological issues of the economic thought have been pointed out, as well as opinions and academic debates on its further development.

JEL: A11; B25

Conditions have been studied, that presume a change in the economic thought and a new explanation of observed economic realities. Emphasis is put on the transition from descriptive towards normative economic theory. An attempt is made to associate the results of theoretical analyses with economic realities in Bulgaria.

JEL: B40

A conclusion has been drawn that the economic theory suffers from syndrome of methodological insufficiency, which could be overcome by apply fully the systematic approach. With regard to this, the need to apply mathematical modelling has been justified, as well as the introduction of new terms from the theory of sets and the systematic analysis, spaces and congruence, the revival of economic cybernetics.

JEL: B40

The economic theory falls behind the completely new social-economic and environmental realities in the last 10-15 years. The main problem is methodological. The new realities demand more and more persistently a common methodological approach, which is holistically-systematic both on a national and a globally-historical scale. The key to this approach is a complex of several fundamental interrelations of the highest synthetic nature. They can be defined and formalised only theoretically.

JEL: B41

Organisational-structural and behavioural discrepancies in the implementation of the managerial process have been discussed. Specific situations of a discrepancy have been analysed, as well as the relation between them.
It is pointed out that there will be always asymmetry. However, the possibilities for developing the human potential and the results from the realisation of the managerial process will depend on the extent to which specific discrepancies are known and controlled.

JEL: D20

Views have been presented about the potentials and the role of economic-mathematical modelling in the system of theoretical and applied economic studies under the conditions of developing new directions in economics. Areas for improving and applying economic-mathematical and borderline research fields have been pointed out.

JEL: C80