تفاوت های روش شناختی میان اقتصاد نئوکلاسیک و اقتصاد نهادی[Competing Methodologies: Neoclassical versus Institutional Economics]

Debates over methodology have long played a central role in distinguishing schools of thought in economics, shaping not only the questions that are asked but also the ways in which theories are constructed and tested. This article examines the major methodological differences between neoclassical economics and institutional economics. First, institutional economists seek to construct theoretical models, whereas neoclassical economists focus on developing predictive models (hypotheses). Second, institutional economists ground their analysis in institutions, while neoclassical economists employ the consumer or the firm as the basic unit of analysis. Third, institutional economics draws on psychological and behaviorist approaches, in contrast to the methodological individualism of neoclassical economics. Finally, institutional economists emphasize structural evidence, whereas neoclassical economists rely primarily on predictive evidence. These contrasts reveal how divergent methodological commitments shape the scope, tools, and explanatory power of each tradition.