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Filling in the Background

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Author Info
Jochen Runde
Abstract

Commonsense rational choice explanations exploit a form of intentional causation, an idealized version of which underpins the formal rational modelling of modern economic theory. Following John Searle, it is argued that the deliberations and activities of economic actors do not bottom out in intentional states, but in various nonintentional or 'Background' capacities and dispositions. It is shown why the formal version of rational choice theory employed in economics does not have the resources to address such capacities and dispositions, and that the prevailing commitment to this theory thereby reinforces their neglect. Examples are given of the impact of Background phenomena in the economic realm.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Taylor and Francis Journals in its journal Journal of Economic Methodology.

Volume (Year): 9 (2002)
Issue (Month): 1 (March)
Pages: 11-30
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Handle: RePEc:taf:jecmet:v:9:y:2002:i:1:p:11-30

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Related research
Keywords: Causation; Explanation; Institutions; Intentionality; Knowledge; Rational Choice Theory; Tacit Knowledge; The Background;

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Runde, Jochen, 1998. "Assessing Causal Economic Explanations," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 50(2), pages 151-72, April.
  2. Hodgson, Geoffrey M, 1997. "The Ubiquity of Habits and Rules," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(6), pages 663-84, November.
  3. de Aghion, Beatriz Armendariz & Gollier, Christian, 2000. "Peer Group Formation in an Adverse Selection Model," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(465), pages 632-43, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Mariotti, Marco, 1995. "Is Bayesian Rationality Compatible with Strategic Rationality?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 105(432), pages 1099-1109, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Hart, Oliver & Moore, John, 1990. "Property Rights and the Nature of the Firm," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(6), pages 1119-58, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Ghatak, Maitreesh, 2000. "Screening by the Company You Keep: Joint Liability Lending and the Peer Selection Effect," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(465), pages 601-31, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Boone, Jan, 2000. "Technological Progress, Downsizing and Unemployment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(465), pages 581-600, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. David, Paul A., 1994. "Why are institutions the 'carriers of history'?: Path dependence and the evolution of conventions, organizations and institutions," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 205-220, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Joseph E. Stiglitz, 1996. "Whither Socialism?," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262691825, December.
  10. Arrow, Kenneth J, 1996. "Technical Information and Industrial Structure," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press, vol. 5(2), pages 645-52.
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. David Dequech, 2005. "Institutions: A Concept For A Theory Of Conformity And Innovation," Anais do XXXIII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 33th Brazilian Economics Meeting] 174, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pósgraduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
  2. Alex Viskovatoff, 2002. "Searle's Background: comments on Runde and Faulkner," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 65-80, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Sheila C. Dow & Dipak Ghosh, 2004. "Variety of Opinion and the Speculative Demand for Money: An Analysis in Terms of Fuzzy Concepts," SCEME Working Papers: Advances in Economic Methodology 007/2004, SCEME. [Downloadable!]
  4. Philip Faulkner, 2002. "The human agent in behavioural finance: a Searlean perspective," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 31-52, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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