The subjective economy of Human Capital (Notes for an ethical and political reflection)

Abstract

Human Capital is a familiar concept in critical analysis on neoliberal subjectivity. However, it is not usual to see its nominal presence accompanied by a detailed study about the economic theories in which it appears. This paper sets out to shed light on the categories and the theoretical frameworks of Human Capital theories on the basis of the texts of its main authors (G. Becker, Th. Schultz, J. Mincer). And all that with a double intention: first, to construct a more comprehensive approach to neoliberalism's subjectivity models, particularly in labor matters; second, to genetically understand the ethical and political horizons of contemporary societies.