Beyond Economic Fundamentalism

This paper sets in a historical perspective, beginning with Cantillon, the Physiocrats and Smith, the contemporary challenge posed to neoclassical/neoliberal orthodoxy by heterodox economics. It shows how neoclassic/neoliberal fundamentalist assumptions are deeply rooted in modern economic thought, and how the latter in turn is embedded in the broader modern theoretical fabric. The paper argues that alternatives to the neoclassic/neoliberal mode of thinking come from the reconsideration of the distinction between economics and economy, and from the recognition of the performativity of science. [Real-world economics review, issue no. 45]heterodox economics, neoliberal fundamentalism, neoclassical economics, Economics