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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Lawson On Veblen On Social Ontology, John B. Davis Dec 2015

Lawson On Veblen On Social Ontology, John B. Davis

Economics Faculty Research and Publications

This paper discusses Lawson’s use of Veblen’s concept of ‘neoclassical economics’ and argument that the category of neoclassical economics should be jettisoned on the grounds that it obfuscates effective critique of mainstream economics. The paper links Lawson’s critique of closed systems and Veblen’s cumulative causation view by offering a reflexivity, feedback loop formulation of the latter aimed at overcoming the pre-Socratic dichotomy between Heraclitian and Parmenidean ontological thinking. The paper then reviews what this implies for three key social ontology doctrines: social reality as processual and highly transient; emergence and the appearance of novelty; the internal relatedness of social reality. …


(Wp 2015-03) Lawson On Veblen On Social Ontology, John B. Davis Aug 2015

(Wp 2015-03) Lawson On Veblen On Social Ontology, John B. Davis

Economics Working Papers

This paper discusses Lawson’s use of Veblen’s concept of ‘neoclassical economics’ and argument that the category of neoclassical economics should be jettisoned on the grounds that it obfuscates effective critique of mainstream economics. The paper links Lawson’s critique of closed systems and Veblen’s cumulative causation view by offering a reflexivity, feedback loop formulation of the latter aimed at overcoming the pre-Socratic dichotomy between Heraclitian and Parmenidean ontological thinking. The paper then reviews what this implies for three key social ontology doctrines: social reality as processual and highly transient; emergence and the appearance of novelty; the internal relatedness of social reality. …


Theorizing The Social Provisioning Process Under Capitalism: Developing A Veblenian Theory Of Care For The Twenty-First Century, Andrew Cumbers, John B. Davis, Robert Mcmaster Jan 2015

Theorizing The Social Provisioning Process Under Capitalism: Developing A Veblenian Theory Of Care For The Twenty-First Century, Andrew Cumbers, John B. Davis, Robert Mcmaster

Economics Faculty Research and Publications

Thorstein Veblen highlighted a number of human instincts, one of which was the “parental bent.” In contrast to the other “positive” instincts, the parental bent is specifically other-regarding in that Veblen described it in terms of utilizing knowledge for the betterment of society. Veblen’s “parental bent” stresses the social embeddedness of humanity and the human instinct to care. Our ability to care is partially predicated on our social roles and the values embedded within those roles. Critically, this is influenced by the configuration of institutions within a society. Care is grossly under-valued. By drawing upon recent contributions to care in …