Review of Arjo Klamer’s Speaking of economics: how to get into the conversation

__Abstract__ Arjo Klamer wants to change the way we think about economics. He argues that economics is not a body of accumulated knowledge, a mirror of the economic world out there, or rhetoric (the art of persuasion), but rather a bunch of conversations. In his recent book, Speaking of economics (2007), he introduces the term conversation in order to show that this perspective helps us understand the practice of economics better

The Vienna circles: cultivating economic knowledge outside academia

__Abstract__ This article examines the intellectual scenery of interwar Vienna. It argues that its central institution was not academia, but rather the circles (‘Kreise’). The prominence of these circles can partly account for the creative outburst in the social sciences in interwar Vienna. The article also helps to explain the peculiar character of the knowledge produced in interwar Vienna which is just as much concerned with social and political issues as it is with more traditional scientific issues. The lack of formal institutions and the marginal position of the University of Vienna also had downsides. It caused uncertainty in terms of career prospects and professional identities, although the informal interaction within the circles full of rituals and alternative institutions could partly make up for this. The uncertain future for scholars ultimately contributed to the enormous wave of migration from Vienna, frequently even before the political situation became an acute threat

De Hersenscanner en de economische wetenschap

__Abstract__ Neuroeconomics is een nieuw veld, waarin inzichten uit de neurologie worden gebruikt voor het verklaren van economische keuzes. Als nieuw veld past het in een bredere beweging in de sociale wetenschappen waarin wordt gezocht naar biologische fundering voor de theorieen, zoals bijvoorbeeld in de evolutionaire psychologie. De conferentie ‘Neuroeconomics: Hype or Hope’ in Rotterdam, was georganiseerd om te kijken wat dit nieuwe veld te bieden heeft. Voor die gelegenheid waren wetenschapsfilosofen, economen en enkele psychologen bij elkaar gekomen in de Remonstrantse Kerk. Er was van allerlei aanwezig stevige kritiek op de nieuwe methode, maar laten we eerst eens kijken wat die methode te bieden heeft

Exemplary Goods: Exemplars as Judgment Devices

In this article the notion of exemplars is developed to study valuation processes. It argues that exemplary goods are an important ‘judgment device’ on markets of singular goods, which has so far been ignored in the literature. The article draws on Hannah Arendt’s theory of exemplars, as well as literature from the philosophy of science and psychology to construct the new concept. Exemplars are particular goods that become focal points in markets that facilitate the mutual coordination of consumers and producers. From these exemplars norms of quality emerge which are otherwise hard or impossible to explicate. These exemplars and the norms of quality which emerge from them help shape the expectations of both producers and consumers with regard to new goods that are introduced to the market. Two illustrative cases, on classic literature and hip-hop music, are presented to demonstrate the relevance of the concept