IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/jecmet/v33y2026i2p154-169.html

The invention of homo œconomicus: a non-linear exclusion of ethics from economic science

Author

Listed:
  • Philippe Gillig

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to ascertain to what extent the advent of the concept of homo œconomicus results in the marginalization of ethical considerations within the field of economic science. Given that the inventors of the concept of economic man were mostly utilitarians, what is, in particular, the relationship between utilitarianism, on the one hand, and economic science, on the other, in the historical genesis of homo œconomicus? Two key conclusions can be drawn: (1) There is no linear progression toward a more autonomous position with regard to ethical considerations. Edgeworth’s methodology represents a notable attempt to integrate ethics within abstract economics. (2) The history of the interrelationship between utilitarianism and homo œconomicus is intricate and is inextricably linked to the multifaceted nature of utilitarianism.

Suggested Citation

  • Philippe Gillig, 2026. "The invention of homo œconomicus: a non-linear exclusion of ethics from economic science," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(2), pages 154-169, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jecmet:v:33:y:2026:i:2:p:154-169
    DOI: 10.1080/1350178X.2026.2674050
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/1350178X.2026.2674050
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/1350178X.2026.2674050?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:jecmet:v:33:y:2026:i:2:p:154-169. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/RJEC20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.