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Biology and Economics: Metaphors that Economists usually take from Biology

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  • Danny García Callejas

Abstract

Adam Smith, Alfred Marshall, Stanley Jevons, Karl Marx, Francois Quesnay and Joseph Schumpeter all have at least one thing in common: they used biological metaphors when speaking about economics. Nonetheless, today, this relation subsists and biology and economics are viewed as complementary sciences that have a lot to gain from joint research in fields like: evolutionary economics, economic growth, cognitive economics and environmental and ecological economics, among others. This paper, divided in four sections, will show this conclusion and explain that biology and economics are more sisters than strangers

Suggested Citation

  • Danny García Callejas, 2007. "Biology and Economics: Metaphors that Economists usually take from Biology," Revista Ecos de Economía, Universidad EAFIT, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:col:000442:010544
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    File URL: http://publicaciones.eafit.edu.co/index.php/ecos-economia/article/view/730/650
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Biology; economics; evolution; metaphors;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B00 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - General - - - History of Economic Thought, Methodology, and Heterodox Approaches
    • B41 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - Economic Methodology
    • N01 - Economic History - - General - - - Development of the Discipline: Historiographical; Sources and Methods
    • Q00 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - General
    • Q57 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Ecological Economics

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