Is Economics an 'objective' or 'positive' science, independent of ethical and political positions? The financial crisis that began in 2007 gave rise to renewed doubts regarding the 'objectivity' of economics and brought into the public arena a debate that was previously confined to academia. A remarkable feature of the public debate on the value neutrality of economics since then was that it not only involved indictments of ideological biases in economic theory, but also the attribution of the crisis itself to the unethical orientation of economic agents, of economists acting as experts and of 'economic science' itself. The contributors to this volume believe that economists of all persuasions are once again compelled to probe the normative foundations of their discipline and give a public account of their doubts and conclusions.

In the light of questions about the state and responsibility in the wake of the financial crisis, the debate on value-neutrality and objectivity has again come to the fore. This volume brings together economists, sociologists and philosophers, to explore the key issues involved in this debate.

The collection explores three key issues:

• The role of values in economics at a time when the normative burden of economics is increasing- should we take values as subjective preferences or tastes, or rather as appropriate objects of rational inquiry and debate?
• Should economists still aspire to an objective point of view?
• The role of economists and the state of the profession.

Rather than simply revisiting past controversies, this collection responds to the perception that the old issue of value-freedom and objectivity in economics is re-emerging as an urgent topic.

The chapters consider these issues in innovative, thought-provoking and pluralistic ways, and constitute a significant contribution for a better understanding of the complexities and challenges economists face in their pursuit of objectivity.