from Part IV - Pluralism and Complexity in Economics
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 September 2026
This concluding chapter reflects on the importance and fragility of scientific pluralism. It reiterates that pluralism and rationality coevolved, with critical dialogue among diverse viewpoints being essential for error correction. Post-positivism challenged the monistic approach of logical positivism but offered mixed messages. A major threat is the subordination of epistemic reason to practical reason (to achieve specific policy goals), which fosters intolerance towards alternative viewpoints. Rigid demarcation criteria between ‘science’ and ‘pseudoscience’ are often used to suppress external pluralism (dialogue between different schools and visions) while allowing only a limited internal pluralism (within a dominant paradigm). As a case study, this chapter criticizes the misleading state-versus-market dichotomy, arguing that the elites instrumentally use institutions and economic theories to advance their interests, undermining genuine dialogue between different viewpoints. The rise of ‘Emergency Economics’ further erodes a rigorous pluralistic debate. The chapter concludes with a proposal to strengthen pluralism through education: introducing compulsory undergraduate units focusing on the history of theories and visions, showcasing the evolution and interaction of diverse paradigms, using tools like the epistemic matrices and evolutionary trees introduced in this book, to foster critical thinking and awareness of pluralism as a core scientific and democratic value.
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