Solving the explanation paradox – one last attempt

Alex Rosenberg

Journal of Economic Methodology, 2025, vol. 32, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: The ‘explanation paradox’ due to Reiss can be resolved by recognizing that economic models that begin with assumptions of rational choice compel explanatory assent because they exploit a pattern of reasoning humans are hardwired to accept as explanatory: what cognitive scientists call the theory of mind. I review recent research in evolutionary anthropology, neuroscience and developmental psychology that substantiates the conclusion that explanations exploiting expectations and preferences (i.e. beliefs and desires) were hard wired into Hominins as the solution to a design problem in early human evolution, and continue to drive our explanatory and predictive expectations even well beyond their domain of effective employment. Economic models employ this explanatory strategy outside the domain of the effective employment of rational choice models. This is the source of our conviction that they explain in spite of their failure to satisfy any reasonable criteria for scientific explanation.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/1350178X.2025.2464607 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:jecmet:v:32:y:2025:i:1:p:1-13

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/RJEC20

DOI: 10.1080/1350178X.2025.2464607

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Economic Methodology is currently edited by John Davis and D Wade Hands

More articles in Journal of Economic Methodology from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().