Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitions

Autores
Laera, Rodrigo Fabián
Año de publicación
2025
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
The principle of value neutrality has long shaped mainstream economic thought, particularly through Robbins’ influential definition of economics as the science that studies human behaviour as a relationship between ends and scarce means with alternative uses. This definition, widely adopted in economics textbooks, excludes ethical evaluation of the ends, positioning them as given and beyond the scope of economic inquiry. However, this purported neutrality conceals a normative stance that limits the field’s ability to engage with questions of human well-being and collective purpose. To address this issue, the teleological character of Robbins’ definition will be examined first, which focuses on the means and takes the ends as given, in contrast to two historical conceptions of economics: as the study of wealth and as the science of exchange (catallactics). Subsequently, the paper will focus on Homo Economicus, the agent responsible for the execution of the means and who makes himself up as a teleological subject. Finally, the idea of how ethics can be integrated into a definition of economics will be presented.
Fil: Laera, Rodrigo Fabián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas. - Sociedad Argentina de Análisis Filosófico. Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas; Argentina
Materia
ROBBINS’ DEFINITION
SCARCE MEANS
ENDS
ETHICS
HOMO ECONOMICUS
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/290927
Acceder
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network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitionsLaera, Rodrigo FabiánROBBINS’ DEFINITIONSCARCE MEANSENDSETHICSHOMO ECONOMICUShttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/6.3https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6The principle of value neutrality has long shaped mainstream economic thought, particularly through Robbins’ influential definition of economics as the science that studies human behaviour as a relationship between ends and scarce means with alternative uses. This definition, widely adopted in economics textbooks, excludes ethical evaluation of the ends, positioning them as given and beyond the scope of economic inquiry. However, this purported neutrality conceals a normative stance that limits the field’s ability to engage with questions of human well-being and collective purpose. To address this issue, the teleological character of Robbins’ definition will be examined first, which focuses on the means and takes the ends as given, in contrast to two historical conceptions of economics: as the study of wealth and as the science of exchange (catallactics). Subsequently, the paper will focus on Homo Economicus, the agent responsible for the execution of the means and who makes himself up as a teleological subject. Finally, the idea of how ethics can be integrated into a definition of economics will be presented.Fil: Laera, Rodrigo Fabián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas. - Sociedad Argentina de Análisis Filosófico. Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas; ArgentinaRosetti International2025-09info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/290927Laera, Rodrigo Fabián; Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitions; Rosetti International; Journal of Philosophical Economics; XVIII; 9-2025; 1-371843-22981844-8208CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://jpe.episciences.org/15131info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.46298/jpe.15131info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2026-08-25T14:34:35Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/290927instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982026-08-25 14:34:35.782CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitions
title Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitions
spellingShingle Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitions
Laera, Rodrigo Fabián
ROBBINS’ DEFINITION
SCARCE MEANS
ENDS
ETHICS
HOMO ECONOMICUS
title_short Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitions
title_full Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitions
title_fullStr Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitions
title_full_unstemmed Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitions
title_sort Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitions
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Laera, Rodrigo Fabián
author Laera, Rodrigo Fabián
author_facet Laera, Rodrigo Fabián
author_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv ROBBINS’ DEFINITION
SCARCE MEANS
ENDS
ETHICS
HOMO ECONOMICUS
topic ROBBINS’ DEFINITION
SCARCE MEANS
ENDS
ETHICS
HOMO ECONOMICUS
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6.3
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/6
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv The principle of value neutrality has long shaped mainstream economic thought, particularly through Robbins’ influential definition of economics as the science that studies human behaviour as a relationship between ends and scarce means with alternative uses. This definition, widely adopted in economics textbooks, excludes ethical evaluation of the ends, positioning them as given and beyond the scope of economic inquiry. However, this purported neutrality conceals a normative stance that limits the field’s ability to engage with questions of human well-being and collective purpose. To address this issue, the teleological character of Robbins’ definition will be examined first, which focuses on the means and takes the ends as given, in contrast to two historical conceptions of economics: as the study of wealth and as the science of exchange (catallactics). Subsequently, the paper will focus on Homo Economicus, the agent responsible for the execution of the means and who makes himself up as a teleological subject. Finally, the idea of how ethics can be integrated into a definition of economics will be presented.
Fil: Laera, Rodrigo Fabián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas. - Sociedad Argentina de Análisis Filosófico. Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas; Argentina
description The principle of value neutrality has long shaped mainstream economic thought, particularly through Robbins’ influential definition of economics as the science that studies human behaviour as a relationship between ends and scarce means with alternative uses. This definition, widely adopted in economics textbooks, excludes ethical evaluation of the ends, positioning them as given and beyond the scope of economic inquiry. However, this purported neutrality conceals a normative stance that limits the field’s ability to engage with questions of human well-being and collective purpose. To address this issue, the teleological character of Robbins’ definition will be examined first, which focuses on the means and takes the ends as given, in contrast to two historical conceptions of economics: as the study of wealth and as the science of exchange (catallactics). Subsequently, the paper will focus on Homo Economicus, the agent responsible for the execution of the means and who makes himself up as a teleological subject. Finally, the idea of how ethics can be integrated into a definition of economics will be presented.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-09
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/290927
Laera, Rodrigo Fabián; Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitions; Rosetti International; Journal of Philosophical Economics; XVIII; 9-2025; 1-37
1843-2298
1844-8208
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/290927
identifier_str_mv Laera, Rodrigo Fabián; Value neutrality and the question of ends in teleological economic definitions; Rosetti International; Journal of Philosophical Economics; XVIII; 9-2025; 1-37
1843-2298
1844-8208
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://jpe.episciences.org/15131
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.46298/jpe.15131
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Rosetti International
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Rosetti International
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
_version_ 1874774215569178624
score 13.24418

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