Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 188-202 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Journal of Economic Methodology |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 26 Mar 2023 |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Abstract
From the mid-1960s until the late 1980s, the well-known general philosophies of science of the time were applied to economics. The result was disappointing: none seemed to fit. This paper argues that this is due to a special feature of economics: it possesses ‘orientational paradigms’ in high number. Orientational paradigms are similar to Kuhn’s paradigms in that they are shared across scientific communities, but dissimilar to Kuhn’s paradigms in that they are not generally accepted as valid guidelines for further research. As will be shown by several examples, orientational paradigms provide economics with common points of reference that support its epistemic coherence and make scientific discourse more easily possible across school boundaries. With the help of systematicity theory, a newer general philosophy of science, one can further elucidate the role of orientational paradigms with regard to scientific progress.
Keywords
- experimental economics, Orientational paradigms, production and exchange models, systematicity theory, Thomas Kuhn, utility theory
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance (miscellaneous)
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In: Journal of Economic Methodology, Vol. 30, No. 2, 2023, p. 188-202.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - What makes economics special
T2 - orientational paradigms
AU - Hoyningen-Huene, Paul
AU - Kincaid, Harold
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - From the mid-1960s until the late 1980s, the well-known general philosophies of science of the time were applied to economics. The result was disappointing: none seemed to fit. This paper argues that this is due to a special feature of economics: it possesses ‘orientational paradigms’ in high number. Orientational paradigms are similar to Kuhn’s paradigms in that they are shared across scientific communities, but dissimilar to Kuhn’s paradigms in that they are not generally accepted as valid guidelines for further research. As will be shown by several examples, orientational paradigms provide economics with common points of reference that support its epistemic coherence and make scientific discourse more easily possible across school boundaries. With the help of systematicity theory, a newer general philosophy of science, one can further elucidate the role of orientational paradigms with regard to scientific progress.
AB - From the mid-1960s until the late 1980s, the well-known general philosophies of science of the time were applied to economics. The result was disappointing: none seemed to fit. This paper argues that this is due to a special feature of economics: it possesses ‘orientational paradigms’ in high number. Orientational paradigms are similar to Kuhn’s paradigms in that they are shared across scientific communities, but dissimilar to Kuhn’s paradigms in that they are not generally accepted as valid guidelines for further research. As will be shown by several examples, orientational paradigms provide economics with common points of reference that support its epistemic coherence and make scientific discourse more easily possible across school boundaries. With the help of systematicity theory, a newer general philosophy of science, one can further elucidate the role of orientational paradigms with regard to scientific progress.
KW - experimental economics
KW - Orientational paradigms
KW - production and exchange models
KW - systematicity theory
KW - Thomas Kuhn
KW - utility theory
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85151154888&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/1350178X.2023.2192231
DO - 10.1080/1350178X.2023.2192231
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85151154888
VL - 30
SP - 188
EP - 202
JO - Journal of Economic Methodology
JF - Journal of Economic Methodology
SN - 1350-178X
IS - 2
ER -