Why is Economics not an Evolutionary Science?’ – New Answers to Veblen’s Old Question

"I am unable to find any compelling reasons why economic analysis should remain ‘locked in ’ to an ahistorical conceptual framework. “ (David 2001) Nearly 110 years ago Thorstein Veblen first asked this question, when postulating an economic science that relies more on the analysis of economic change than being a simple taxonomy of axioms and – more or less rigorously drawn – logical conclusions. (Veblen 1898). Today a substantive body of such an „evolutionary theory “ is already developed but evolutionary economics still remains a small niche of economic research and teaching, while the whole branch of Economics is – as in Veblen’s times – dominated by (neo)classical theories and viewpoints. (Sile