Agent-Based Models and Simulations in Economics and Social Sciences: from conceptual exploration to distinct ways of experimenting

Denis Phan () and Franck Varenne

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: Now that complex Agent-Based Models and computer simulations spread over economics and social sciences - as in most sciences of complex systems -, epistemological puzzles (re)emerge. We introduce new epistemological concepts so as to show to what extent authors are right when they focus on some empirical, instrumental or conceptual significance of their model or simulation. By distinguishing between models and simulations, between types of models, between types of computer simulations and between types of empiricity obtained through a simulation, section 2 gives the possibility to understand more precisely - and then to justify - the diversity of the epistemological positions presented in section 1. Our final claim is that careful attention to the multiplicity of the denotational powers of symbols at stake in complex models and computer simulations is necessary to determine, in each case, their proper epistemic status and credibility.

Keywords: Agent-Based Models and Simulations; Epistemology; Economics; Social Sciences; Conceptual Exploration; Model World; Credible World; Experiment; Denotational Hierarchy; Modèles et simulations à base d'agents; Epistémologie; Economie; Sciences sociales; Exploration conceptuelle; Monde du modèle; Monde crédible; Expérience; Hiérarchie dénotationelle (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-01-21
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-00554700
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published in Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, 2010, 13 (1), http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/13/1/5.html

Downloads: (external link)
https://hal.science/hal-00554700/document (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Agent-Based Models and Simulations in Economics and Social Sciences: From Conceptual Exploration to Distinct Ways of Experimenting (2010)
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:hal:journl:hal-00554700

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().