The philosophical foundation

Arild Vatn

Chapter 3 in Rethinking Ecological Economics, 2026, pp 35-61 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: To make ecological economics a discipline demands defining its philosophical foundation. I do so by characterizing two main positions in the philosophy of science. The first regards empiricism, stating that valid knowledge is based on sensory experience only. The second regards idealism and relativism. It is based on the view that the world is what we take it to be given the concepts developed. Truth is confined to the context from which it developed. Both positions are flawed. The chapter argues that critical realism responds well to both trends. Against the empiricists, it argues that it is possible to advance knowledge beyond what can be sensed. They emphasize underlying structures, powers and mechanisms. While critical realists recognize that knowledge is concept-dependent, they reject the relativists and idealists’ claim that this also characterizes reality itself. Critical realism is together with a distinct understanding of the economic process utilized to define a philosophical foundation for ecological economics.

Keywords: Empiricism; Relativism; Idealism; Critical realism; Foundations for ecological economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781803921839
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