Uusklassisen talousteorian poliittisuudesta

Authors

• Heikki Patomäki

Abstract

Since the world is not atomistic – because systems are not closed, because people are not hedon­istic calculators, and so on – mathematical economics has produced hardly any relevant predictions. As the project of generating genuine predictions has failed, mathematics itself has become a crite­rion of science. Over time, neoclassical models have become increasingly esoteric. The abundance of hundreds of thousands of models and econometric reports may give the image of diversity, yet economics education trains to embrace primarily one common prototype. The politics of neoclas­sical theory emerges from the prototype’s abstract contrast space and its inherent reifications. Tendential thinking arises from the selection effect, the repetitive nature and repulsive effect of economics training, and the susceptibility to group-thinking. Also a number of social mechanisms favour competitive market research when deciding on funding, positions and prestige. I conclude by discussing the possibility of openness and collective learning from evidence.