----------------- HES POSTING ----------------- My field is methodology in general, not only concerning economics. Hence I am interested in conceptual structures and habits, and how as a consequence they shape a science and its practice. I have developed and published a methodological approach that allows to secure systematic completeness and certainty. Since some years I have been dealing also with economics. And here I have a question to the HES forum: Have there been attempts in economics for securing systematic completeness and certainty, especially in terms of grasping the principle of economy as a process, not just as a series of states or an aggregation of agent's decisions? If yes, on what conceptual basis has this beeen attempted or become possible? I only know of the work of Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen, which was not received very graciously by economics, maybe because he operates in a mixture of philosophical and physicalistic formats, which is a bit uncommon for the average economist. Otherwise, as far as I can see (e.g. with Juerg Niehans), the conceptual system of economics seems essentially to be built up on notions that originate in the exchange of goods and the means for facilitating such acts (types of money), starting with Aristotle and ending with the neoliberal approach. Other implied realms (nature / environment, resources, production, waste processing, integration into the cultural context, etc.) were gradually added, along with a differentiation of the institutional network — but under the same categories: there was barely any holistic conceptualization by principle. This conceptual structure leads indeed to the observable characteristics of the economy that now rules globally. But it is only the result of a contingent historical development, not of a systematic strictly holistic quest. — Or am I wrong? Thanking you in advance, best regards Alec Schaerer University of Basel, Switzerland ------------ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ------------ For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]