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Vom »Gesetz« zur »Form« Überlegungen zum epistemischen und methodologischen Status der Volkswirtschaftslehre / From »Law« to »Form«. Considerations about the epistemic and methodological status of economics

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  • Groß Steffen W.

Abstract

This paper is concerned with fundamental epistemic and methodological issues in economics. Its core argument is that economics should be conceived and understood as a part of the humanities: that is, a part of the broad study of man, and of academic endeavour that seeks to explain both individual and social action. It raises the central question of how human action can be adequately perceived and conceptualised in economics, and views critically the behavioural approach, which is currently quite prominent. One of the shortcomings of behavioural economics is that it does not distinguish clearly enough between behaviour and action. It consequently overlooks, or at least underplays, the symbolic representations that underlie all human action. In elucidating this theme the paper questions the naturalistic approach to economics, and also the discipline’s pretensions to be, like physics, a predictive science. With recourse to the works of Ernst Cassirer in the field of philosophy and logic of the humanities, this paper argues for an approach to economics that eschews the traditional stress on determining and defining laws, and instead interprets economics as a symbolic form of thought, through which the human world is both created and can be understood.

Suggested Citation

  • Groß Steffen W., 2011. "Vom »Gesetz« zur »Form« Überlegungen zum epistemischen und methodologischen Status der Volkswirtschaftslehre / From »Law« to »Form«. Considerations about the epistemic and methodological status of eco," ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 62(1), pages 405-424, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:ordojb:v:62:y:2011:i:1:p:405-424:n:18
    DOI: 10.1515/ordo-2011-0118
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Becker, Gary S., 1978. "The Economic Approach to Human Behavior," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226041124, December.
    2. Hirschman, Albert O., 1985. "Against Parsimony: Three Easy Ways of Complicating some Categories of Economic Discourse," Economics and Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 1(1), pages 7-21, April.
    3. Nils Goldschmidt & Bernd Remmele, 2005. "Anthropology as the basic science of economic theory: towards a cultural theory of economics," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(3), pages 455-469.
    4. Beck Hanno, 2009. "Wirtschaftspolitik und Psychologie: Zum Forschungsprogramm der Behavioral Economics / Psychology and economic policy," ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 60(1), pages 119-152, January.
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