Heterodox Economics, Social Ontology, and the Use of Mathematics

Mark Setterfield
Written By SCEPA

WORKING PAPER

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The argument advanced in this paper challenges Tony Lawson's claim that a heterodox economist's use of mathematical modeling is at odds with their (implicit) acceptance of an open-systems ontology.

This claim is true only some of the time, and problematic only some of the time that it is true. It therefore amounts to a defense of mathematical modeling by heterodox economists that is, at the same time, sympathetic to Lawson’s claims that the social realm is structured but open and that this ontology is (implicitly) accepted by many heterodox economists.

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