Macro-analysis, regulation and the method: an alternative to the methodological holism and individualism to a historical and institutionalist macro-economy
Abstract
The paper examines the epistemological conditions that make the “regulationist” macro-analysis a possible alternative to the traditional equilibrium approaches. It shows how these analyses allow to overcome the structure-agent dilemma as from the concept of contextual rationality and of a hol-individualist methodology that, combined with the notion of strong historicity, find wide theoretical basis in Bourdieu's sociology, in Braudel's works on economical history and in Lukács's ontology on the social being. The paper also explains its historical origins and concludes with a synthesis of the method and the necessary steps to accomplish this type of macroeconomics approach.
JEL Classification: B41; B40; B59; E19.
Keywords: Economic methodology “regulationist” macro-analysis regulation school contextual rationality methodological holism methodological individualism epistemological problems of economics