Abstract
Edgeworth boxes, which illustrate the movement toward equilibrium via trade, are almost universally relegated to intermediate microeconomics courses. I argue for their inclusion in introductory courses as a natural bridge between production / consumption possibility frontiers and supply / demand curves. When presented in an intuitive, graph-based fashion, the Edgeworth box model provides a supplementary illustration (to the Ricardian model) of trade as a Pareto improvement and emphasizes production for the purpose of utility via consumption rather than for its own sake. A course which only includes production as such is, therefore, incomplete.
Recommended Citation
(2026)
"On the Value of Teaching Edgeworth Boxes in Introductory Economics Courses,"
Journal of Economics and Finance Education: Vol. 17:
Iss.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://scholarship.rollins.edu/jefe/vol17/iss1/3
