Offering a diverse set of contributions to current social contracting research, The Social Institutions of Capitalism illustrates how social contracts necessarily underlie and facilitate all forms of capitalist production and exchange. The editors bring together novel contributions from fields as diverse as economics, evolutionary game theory, contract law, business ethics, moral philosophy and anthropology to offer multifaceted but subtly intertwined perspectives on fundamental questions concerning human cooperation. This interdisciplinary book, with articles written by academics who are widely known and respected in their respective fields, will be of great value to those interested in political theory, moral philosophy and business ethics.

Is neuroeconomics a flimsy fad likely to pass without leaving a discernible trace in economics? Or is it a promising new field with the potential to enrich and improve economic theory? Neuroeconomics brings together a unique mix of perspectives ranging from philosophy of science to neuroeconomics practice to reflect on the promises and limitations of neuroeconomics for the future of economics. The analyses collected in the volume suggest that although neuroeconomics raises methodological worries that ought to be dealt with, it might contribute to economics in various ways, some perhaps more promising than others. One thing comes out clearly, though: a complete insulation of economics from neuroscience and psychology is likely to do economics more harm than good.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Journal of Economic Methodology.

The profession of academic economics has been widely criticized for being excessively dependent on technical models based on unrealistic assumptions about rationality and individual behavior, and yet it remains a sparsely studied area. This volume presents a series of background readings on the profession by leading scholars in the history of economic thought and economic methodology. Adopting a fresh critique, the contributors investigate the individual incentives prevalent in academic economics, describing economists as rational actors who react to their intellectual environment and the incentives for economic research. Timely topics are addressed, including the financial crisis and the consequences for the discipline, as well as more traditional themes such as pluralism in research, academic organizations, teaching methodology, gender issues and professional ethics. This collection will appeal to scholars working on topics related to economic methodology and the teaching of economics.

Originating from the International Network for Economic Method conference, hosted by the Erasmus Institute for Economics and Philosophy (EIPE) at the Erasmus University Rotterdam in 2013, this book chooses key themes that reflect on fascinating new developments in the philosophy of economics. Contributions discuss new avenues and debates in important and upcoming areas, such as the philosophy of economic policy making, decision theory, ethics, and new questions in economic methodology. The book offers an excellent insight into cutting edge research in these fields that are about to shape the future of the philosophy of economics. This book was originally published as a special issue of The Journal of Economic Methodology.

'Capitalism is Change'. This famous expression of Joseph Schumpeter was not only characteristic of his time, but is certainly relevant as we enter the twenty-first century. The transition of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, the Asian crisis and European integration all characterise the continuous change of capitalism. What is the role of entrepreneurs in capitalist society? How effective are technological policies in changing institutions? Are the economic systems of the United States, Europe and Asia converging? In answer to these questions distinguished contributors - including Paul Krugman - focus on the theoretical foundations of the evolution of capitalist institutions. They apply these theoretical insights to the firm, sectors and economic systems. The combination of recent developments in theory with empirical studies will ensure that this book is essential reading for all those interested in evolutionary and institutional economics, political economy, technology policy, innovation and knowledge.

Best-selling books such as Freakonomics and The Undercover Economist have paved the way for the flourishing economics-made-fun genre. While books like these present economics as a strong and explanatory science, the ongoing economic crisis has exposed the shortcomings of economics to the general public. In the face of this crisis, many people, including well-known economists such as Paul Krugman, have started to express their doubts about whether economics is a success as a science. As well as academic papers, newspaper columns with a large audience have discussed the failure of economic to predict and explain ongoing trends. The emerging picture is somewhat confusing: economics-made-fun books present economics as a method of thinking that can successfully explain everyday and "freaky" phenomena. On the other hand, however, economics seems to fail in addressing and explaining the most pressing matters related to the field of economics itself. This book explores the confusion created by this contradictory picture of economics. Could a science that cannot answer its own core questions really be used to explain the logic of everyday life? This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Economic Methodology.

Best-selling books such as Freakonomics and The Undercover Economist have paved the way for the flourishing economics-made-fun genre. While books like these present economics as a strong and explanatory science, the ongoing economic crisis has exposed the shortcomings of economics to the general public. In the face of this crisis, many people, including well-known economists such as Paul Krugman, have started to express their doubts about whether economics is a success as a science. As well as academic papers, newspaper columns with a large audience have discussed the failure of economic to predict and explain ongoing trends. The emerging picture is somewhat confusing: economics-made-fun books present economics as a method of thinking that can successfully explain everyday and "freaky" phenomena. On the other hand, however, economics seems to fail in addressing and explaining the most pressing matters related to the field of economics itself. This book explores the confusion created by this contradictory picture of economics. Could a science that cannot answer its own core questions really be used to explain the logic of everyday life? This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Economic Methodology.

Is neuroeconomics a flimsy fad likely to pass without leaving a discernible trace in economics? Or is it a promising new field with the potential to enrich and improve economic theory? Neuroeconomics brings together a unique mix of perspectives ranging from philosophy of science to neuroeconomics practice to reflect on the promises and limitations of neuroeconomics for the future of economics. The analyses collected in the volume suggest that although neuroeconomics raises methodological worries that ought to be dealt with, it might contribute to economics in various ways, some perhaps more promising than others. One thing comes out clearly, though: a complete insulation of economics from neuroscience and psychology is likely to do economics more harm than good. This book was originally published as a special issue of Journal of Economic Methodology.

Originating from the International Network for Economic Method conference, hosted by the Erasmus Institute for Economics and Philosophy (EIPE) at the Erasmus University Rotterdam in 2013, this book chooses key themes that reflect on fascinating new developments in the philosophy of economics. Contributions discuss new avenues and debates in important and upcoming areas, such as the philosophy of economic policy making, decision theory, ethics, and new questions in economic methodology. The book offers an excellent insight into cutting edge research in these fields that are about to shape the future of the philosophy of economics. This book was originally published as a special issue of The Journal of Economic Methodology.