Interdisciplinarity in Economics
Chairmen:
D. Prunetti (LISA, UCPP UMR CNRS 4260, France)
M.-A. Maupertuis (LISA, UCPP UMR CNRS 4260, France)
P.M. Romani, LISA, UCPP UMR CNRS 4260, France)
Objectives: The issue about the degree of interdisciplinarity in economics is not new at all. Since the 18th century, few influential scholars, like James Steuart and Adam Smith, have explicitly studied the borders and the autonomy of their discipline. They have arrived at the conclusion that it is needed to consider other more interesting phenomena than just market functioning, like for instance the historical context in which economic agents interact or the influence of sociology, psychology, philosophy, laws and political science on collective and individual behaviour.
This philosophical-turned-scientific question is still fashionable in the economics community, as demonstrated by the interest shown by Walras in psychology, by Pareto in sociology, by Marshall in history and brain functioning, by Schumpeter in history and sociology, by Keynes in psychology, by Sraffa in political science, philosophy and sociology, etc. More recently, the appearance and development of new approaches, like game theory, behavioral economics and new economic geography, have shown the need to take into account neighboring and complementary disciplines, such as psychology, cognitive sciences, sociology and geography. These approaches will inevitably expand the borders of the discipline and they will represent degrees of opening-up.
The debate about multidisciplinarity is still ongoing among the economists’ community, as well as among the institutions representing them and the media. It regards important issues for the discipline and its social utility. However, it should try to eliminate sterile and basically ideological discussions from this debate in order to focus just on its issues and scientific aspects. This is why a section focused on the interdisciplinarity in economics is of great interest.
Key-Words: economic crisis, complexity in economics, rationality, human behavior and decision-making, social interactions
Scientific Responsibles:
D. Prunetti/M-A. Maupertuis/P-M. Romani
Scientific Committee:
R.Arena, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, France
C. Detotto, UCPP UMR CNRS 6240, France
A. Kirman, EHESS et université Aix-Marseille, France