Reflections--In Praise of Consilience

Tom Tietenberg

Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, 2011, vol. 5, issue 2, 314-329

Abstract: Consilience refers to the linking together of principles from different disciplines to form new constructs. How important has consilience been in bringing new ideas to the management of natural resources and the environment? To what extent has it influenced modes of analysis and policy? These are the questions I examine in this "Reflections" column. Ultimately, I find that the cross-fertilization of ideas has been quite important in creating a number of innovative new methodologies, new perspectives, and even new policy instruments. Using a host of specific examples, I show not only how economics has been enriched by ideas that originated in other disciplines but also how economics has enriched other disciplines concerned with the management of natural resources and the environment. I close by sharing some thoughts on the conditions under which consilience can prosper as well as some thoughts on the future. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.

Date: 2011
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