This book contrasts and compares theories of, and policies for, economic prosperity, environmental sustainability and social progress. Economists, environmentalists, and development theorists have been unable to agree on the most successful prescriptions to address problems and this book shows why theorists conceptualise the process of social experience so differently. The book: *addresses the subjective preference, cost-of-production and abstract labour theories of values in economics* explains egocentrism, ecocentrism and socioecocentrism as competing theoretical perspectives in environmental theory* highlights modernisation theory, structuralist theory and class struggle as ways to account for the process of development* examines the generation of knowledge through positivism, paradigms and praxis