Tony Lawson’s Critique of Modern Economics and his Contribution to Heterodox Economics

With a career spanning over many decades, Tony Lawson has made important contributions ranging from the philosophy of social sciences, history economic thought, methodology of economics, political economy, monetary theory, to the theory of ethics. His work concerning ontology has had a remarkable impact on economic methodologists in promoting the discussion of social ontology. Similarly, his articulation of critical realism has strengthened the criticism of heterodox economists against the economics orthodoxy regarding its lack of realism. Although not identified with a specific heterodox strand, it can be argued that Lawson’s work has promoted the development and the appeal of heterodox economics in many ways. A common feature of most heterodox economics relates to the criticism of mathematical formalism which is a core principle of orthodox economic theory. Another common characteristic is the heterodox emphasis on the crucial role of economic methodology for the discipline. Further, most heterodox economists call for a more realistic approach to the study of economic phenomena. This paper will discuss the facets of Lawson’s work which have exerted considerable influence on above- mentioned common attributes of heterodox economics. In particular, it will focus on: A. the argumentation countering the negative stance of mainstream economics towards economic methodology and the support of its usefulness as a subject of study. B. the critique of mainstream economic methodology and especially its use of mathematics. C. the analysis of the nature of heterodox economics. Lawson’s discourses on these themes have contributed towards a credible and coherent alternative to mainstream economics.