Economics, Biology, and Naturalism: Three Problems Concerning the Question of Individuality

摘要: The paper examines the ramifications of naturalism with regard to question individuality in economics and biology. Economic theory has deal whether households, firms, states are individuals or mere entities such as clubs, networks, coalitions. Biological same cells, organisms, family packs, colonies. To wit, both disciplines involves three separate problems: metaphysical, phenomenist, ontological. metaphysical problem is concerned purposeful action: Is firm organism exclusively product efficient causality (optimization) it motivated by final (purposefulness)? phenomenist interested substantiality essences: firm's organism's scheme institutions/traits deep extraneous identity? ontological related issue reductionism: behavior lower-level organization governed a pre-constituted context-sensitive? finds that theoretical differences run along naturalist/anti-naturalist divide rather than disciplinary specialization. Also, not inconsistent for theorist be naturalist one anti-naturalist respect other two problems.