Abstract
By uncritically embracing materialism in the mistaken belief that this commitment is an intrinsic element of the scientific method, economics and the other social sciences have taken a wrong turn. The world of inanimate matter is the purview of the natural sciences, but carrying a materialist orientation over to the study of the human and social realms sets off a cascading series of oversimplifications, misconceptions, and outright fallacies that cumulatively can be fatal to genuine understanding.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2014 Stephen J. DeCanio
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
DeCanio, S.J. (2014). Materialism, Determinism, and Economics: An Overview. In: Limits of Economic and Social Knowledge. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137371935_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137371935_1
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-47591-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-37193-5
eBook Packages: Palgrave Economics & Finance CollectionEconomics and Finance (R0)