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The Interdisciplinary Research Programme of Methodological Individualism: Back to Its Foundations

Author

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  • Francisco J. Bellido

    (University of Extremadura (Spain))

Abstract

According to methodological individualism any scientific explanation in the social sciences should have recourse to individual beliefs, wishes, intentions and actions. This article sets forth two practical reasons to endorse a clear-cut, classical version of methodological individualism as a research programme in the social sciences. The first one is that methodological individualism should lead to fundamental heuristic hypotheses. The second reason is that methodological individualism has the epistemological strength of producing statements open to logical refutation.The present article questions highly sophisticated accounts of methodological individualism. It suggests instead four tenets to be a valid research programme in the social sciences underscoring an intuitive language to analyze social phenomena. By doing so, it reviews some distinctive features of methodological individualism: Max Weber’s ideal types, Joseph Schumpeter’s notion of given behaviour, Friedrich Hayek’s concept of individual action and Jon Elster’s account of explanatory mechanisms.

Suggested Citation

  • Francisco J. Bellido, 2024. "The Interdisciplinary Research Programme of Methodological Individualism: Back to Its Foundations," The Journal of Philosophical Economics, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, The Journal of Philosophical Economics, vol. 17(1), pages 281-308, Annual.
    • Handle: RePEc:bus:jphile:v:17:y:2024:i:1:n:10
    DOI: 10.46298/jpe.13056
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hodgson, Geoff, 1986. "Behind Methodological Individualism," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 10(3), pages 211-224, September.
    2. Friedel Weinert, 2014. "Social mechanisms and social causation," The Journal of Philosophical Economics, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, The Journal of Philosophical Economics, vol. 8(1), November.
    3. Yuichi Shionoya, 1990. "Instrumentalism in Schumpeter's Economic Methodology," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 22(2), pages 187-222, Summer.
    4. Gregor Zwirn, 2007. "Methodological Individualism or Methodological Atomism: The Case of Friedrich Hayek," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 39(1), pages 47-80, Spring.
    5. Svetlana Kirdina, 2015. "Methodological individualism and methodological institutionalism for interdisciplinary research," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 11(1), pages 53-67.
    6. Francisco J. Bellido, 2024. "The Interdisciplinary Research Programme of Methodological Individualism: Back to Its Foundations," Post-Print hal-04446410, HAL.
    7. Boettke, Peter J. & Coyne, Christopher J., 2005. "Methodological individualism, spontaneous order and the research program of the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 145-158, June.
    8. G. Hodgson, 2007. "What Are Institutions?," Voprosy Ekonomiki, NP Voprosy Ekonomiki, issue 8.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • B40 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - General
    • A12 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Other Disciplines
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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