Open AccessEconomics and groups: methodological individualism and collective action
Author(s) -
Anna Ząbkowicz
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
oeconomia copernicana
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.59
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 2353-1827
pISSN - 2083-1277
DOI - 10.24136/oc.v8i1.1
Subject(s) - methodological individualism , collective action , institutionalism , positive economics , individualism , sociology , action (physics) , mainstream , subject (documents) , imperfect , epistemology , value (mathematics) , phenomenon , economics , neoclassical economics , political science , law , politics , linguistics , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics , machine learning , library science , computer science , market economy
Research background: Paradoxically enough, a large body of contemporary research relies on methodological individualism in order to explain collective activities and decision making. The mainstream of economic theories hardly gives any background to the issue of group activities.
Purpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to investigate which economic theories have addressed the problem of collective action, and how social scientists deal with it contemporarily.
Methods: Consequently, the research relies on the study of heterodox literature concerned with the subject, referring to original works of most respected authors. The review is carried on systematically, respecting two competing approaches regarding methods and social philosophy.
Findings and Value added: Studies on collective action are a domain of institutionalism, the "old" one and the "new" one. Have it both ways, institutionalist studies are rather imperfect in explaining this crucial phenomenon of economic reality.