neoclassical economics is the dominant form of economics used today and has the highest amount of adherents among economists. it is often referred to by its critics as orthodox economics. the more specific definition this approach implies was captured by lionel robbins in a 1932 essay: "the science which studies human behavior as a relation between scarce means having alternative uses." the definition of scarcity is that available resources are insufficient to satisfy all wants and needs; if there is no scarcity and no alternative uses of available resources, then there is no economic problem.