Growing up in the United States—and studying at the University of Chicago, famously associated with free‑market economics—it can be hard to imagine an economy that isn’t capitalism. We’re taught refrains like “competition drives efficiency”  or “humans are innately competitive.”  Over time, these ideas can make capitalism feel less like a choice and more like a law of nature. But it isn’t. Alternative economic frameworks exist—and they have existed for a long time. While stud