Retreat from normativism

Abstract

In economic methodology, a complete turn to practice is hampered by a broadly shared normative stance towards practice. The root of this normativism is Platonism. Platonism presupposes in essence a well-ordered and harmonious world, which allows for neat categorizations and norms that are implied by them. Science, however, is messy, and any categorization is in the eye of the beholder. This article argues therefore for a more instrumental use of a-posteriori categorizations that are based on empirical studies of the practice in question.