Shifting the mainstream: Lawson's impetusEconomics and Reality tony lawson routledge, 1997, 364 pp.

Abstract

Lawson's Economics and Reality is a deeply informed attempt to liberate economics from its usually tacit, metaphysical presuppositions inherited from Newtonian physics and enlightenment epistemology. Lawson fears that the economics profession faces declining prosperity due to its decreasing public credibility and the increasing annexation of its traditional ground of inquiry by other disciplines. Lawson's book attempts to revamp economic methodology in order to reverse these trends. This article examines the recent philosophical ideas informing Lawson's project, considers his critique of contemporary economics, and relates his ideas for reform to those of other economists. (JEL BOO, C10, DO0, D12)