This article critically examines the neoclassical approach to scarcity as well as critiques of neoclassical economics that focus either on the formation of people’s wants (the demand side of scarcity) or on the production and distribution of the goods needed to satisfy these wants (the...

This article critically examines scarcity, a foundational concept of neoclassical economics. It argues that class inequalities and the pursuit of profit shape the configurations of scarcity faced by individuals and groups in today's society. These configurations are made up of socially...