The way that many neoclassical economists ascribe monetary figures to matters such as education, personal relationships, and the environment, and derive apparently scientific, universal formulae for how they interact is incomprehensible to many and the subject of much concern and debate. 20 Some analysts even argue that this accounting mindset, clearly expressed in the Hamilton and Clemens quote above, is a major cause of our environmental crisis as it demeans our views of our relationships with other people and with nature. 21 As well as these difficulties with putting money values on such issues, and the data and measurement problems acknowledged in.
