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16 - Whither Pluralism?

from Part IV - Pluralism and Complexity in Economics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2026

Alessandro Vercelli
Affiliation:
Università degli Studi, Siena
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Summary

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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  • Whither Pluralism?
  • Alessandro Vercelli, Università degli Studi, Siena
  • Book: Pluralism and Complexity
  • Online publication: 18 September 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009675550.021
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  • Whither Pluralism?
  • Alessandro Vercelli, Università degli Studi, Siena
  • Book: Pluralism and Complexity
  • Online publication: 18 September 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009675550.021
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Whither Pluralism?
  • Alessandro Vercelli, Università degli Studi, Siena
  • Book: Pluralism and Complexity
  • Online publication: 18 September 2026
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009675550.021
Available formats
×