Content and Dynamics of the Romanian Economy
| Author | Elena Ciucur; Dumitru Ciucur |
| Position | Professor Ph.D., Faculty of Economic Sciences, “Nicolae Titulescu” University, Bucharest/Professor Ph.D., Academy for Economic Studies, Bucharest |
| Pages | 299-305 |
Page 299
Economy as basis of the society means that it represents the core element on which the system of inter-human relations is grounded, as such relations are historically defined and interests bearing.
Profound transformational moves generated by the scientific-technical and ecologic progress, by welfare and in the same time poverty expansion, substitution of gross labor with information or knowledge and understanding, amplification of sophisticated manufacturing methods, largely dependant on computers and information, enhancement of the crisis regarding mankind issues represent reasons for reflection, for inciting to thorough analysis of the Romanian economy's moves until this moment, to designing the present in the not so remote future.
The occurrence of new economic activity systems undermine the pillars of the old economic system, transforming the individual's life, the favorable ambiance, business, policy, morale, nation - state and the very essence of the economics, by placing the economy on the edge of the most profound switch, in line with a lasting, sustainable and then household economy.
But what does economy mean? Our walk through the old Romanian economic systems imposes that we should remind their content. Economy represents a coherent set of relational activities in which people select what, how much, how and when they should produce in order to achieve their development purposes and those regarding the manifestation of their personalities in the community, people themselves representing a product of nature and of the society. Economics, along with the other areas of the social life reflect in time and space man's continuous struggle with the nature and society within him, in order to adapt to the biological life needs, to the natural and social environment in which he is required to live. "Unless for such a system which could produce food, process, pack and distribute it, which could fabricate textiles and deliver medical and educational services, which could provide laws and maintain the order, which could prepare the collectivity's protection - life would be extremely difficult".
The genesis and development of the economics represent a permanent valorization process which has been consciously performed by people. Therefore, economics represents the real form of human action. It has occurred and developed by people and for them, and it has always been ofPage 300 human nature. Human economics is not a current concept; it has a long history and has evolved in steps2. The content and permanent transformation of economics reflect the modality in which individuals succeed in correlating their unlimited, permanently diversifying needs, with the rare, yet alternatively usable resources. Depending on the relatively limited resources, people act reasonable in order to select the best option of the economic activity, upon defined conditions in time and space. The tension between needs and resources is permanent, and it manifests by human satisfactions or un-satisfactions on an individual and social level, by equalities, gaps, leaps or relative stabilities, etc.
In this process of choice, each individual is transiting through life, permanently registering joys and sorrows. Economics as real form of human action is itself in continuous transformation and transition. Economic life is an endless struggle of people with the principles of rarity, impossible and unknown, with the limits of freedom, in order to transform such in cert, possible and known elements of the day-to-day life, which they could then put in the service of achieving the set out aims. "The true issue is that in real life we normally don't have to choose between risky and cert situations, but between risk levels and various possible results."3
In this normal struggle with the limits of our existence, man and human collectivity, permanently under transition, learn to adapt to the natural environment they live in, by creating a specific living environment in which they act and produce what they need in order to live. "The progress of freedom in mankind history is not therefore a progress registered only in fighting against external imposed limits, but first of all in the dispute with the limits imposed by the nature in us and which represents a life time struggle of one with oneself."4
It results that human action has two groups of responsibilities:
a). Individual responsibility for the way in which the freedom of choice is reflected in what we need to do in respect with our own living;
b). Social responsibility for the way in which each individual's freedom of acting is reflected in the freedoms of choice of the ones with which that individual interacts, by the social nature of human action.
These two responsibilities should be compatible in time and space.
Obviously, many criteria exist for assessing the types of human activities. Given the relatively limited resources, the set of human activities pursuing to answer to the questions of what, how much, how and for who there should be produced are known as economic activities. In such, fundamental issues are solved regarding the volume, structure and quality of the goods that should be produced, regarding the present and future possibilities of producing - who, where, how much and with what costs - and also regarding the way in which we handle distribution and final using of the goods we produce, the ensuring of compatibility between the man-made and natural environments. By the economic activity those utilities are produced that people need in order to satisfy their life needs. Given the fact that satisfying people's needs represents a permanent process, the production answering to these exigencies is continuously carried out.
The economic activity or economy, in any times and historic circumstances represents people's primordial pursuit, their concern of ensuring species existence and perpetuation,Page 301 satisfying vital needs regarding food, shelter, clothing etc. Once these needs...
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