CALL FOR PAPERS – INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE « ECONOMIC PHILOSOPHY »

Sciences Po Lille – 21-22 June 2012, France
Sciences Po Lille and the Papers in Political Economy,with support of CLERSE (UMR 8019), Lille 1, l’Association Charles Gide

"What is economic philosophy? It is a well known phrase. In France, in Europe and
worldwide, journals, research centers and academic syllabi refer to it. But what does it mean?
Does it have an object, a methodology and references which would really distinguish it from economic theories? Is it just another name to refer to what we once called doctrine? Is it more or something else than what we today call economic epistemology? And what place does economic philosophy occupy alongside other fields of philosophy? These questions, and similar ones, seem to have enough relevance for the Papers in Economic History to organize a conference on these with the aim of publishing a special issue.
A first estimate shows that three possible meanings can be distinguished - as so many
orientations for proposals. At first, there would be an economic philosophy in the way there is an underlying philosophy in any positive science in the shape of an envelope which supports or hinders it. The study of this economic philosophy - as philosophy of the economy - would then consist in bringing to light the decisive notions from which economic analysis draws its resources or from which, on the contrary, it has to operate an epistemological break-away.
There would then be an economic philosophy in the sense that the economic notions of
optimum, collective well-being and social choice result in questions relative to the freedom of the agents and to the justice of their mutual relations. Economics would thus appear as a body in two complementary parts – a positive side or examination of the empirical conditions ensuring the maximum efficiency of the actions relative to the production of wealth in a given society; a normative side or description of the ideal conditions under which these results ensure the moral satisfaction of the members of this society. Economic philosophy would constitute this normative part. It would thus be another name for welfare economics, theory of social choice or economic theory of justice.
Finally, there would be an economic philosophy in the sense that the essential notions constitutive of the field of economy and economics are the objects of an analysis pushed to its final limits. Economists are acquainted with this level of inquiry on fundamental concepts of their domain under the title of pure theory. Pure theory does not raise the positive question of how an economic device works best compared to others. Nor does it normatively question the ideal conditions under which the economy can be just. Pure theory rises to the superior level of the so-called real or abstract definitions which, in their turn, command the deployment of economics as a coherent and relevant whole.
But are we saying enough? Shouldn’t we go further than the simple review of the
possible meanings of a phrase? Shouldn’t we also understand that an economic philosophy may come under the banner of a great philosophical tradition to unify economic theoretical propositions - as political or moral philosophies are wont to? It would then be necessary to speak about Aristotelian, Hegelian or Marxist economic philosophy, an economic philosophy inspired by J.S. Mill, the Vienna Circle or Wittgenstein or influenced by Hayek or evolutionism - further incentives for proposals."

PROPOSALS
An abstract (no more than 500 words) of the proposed contribution should be submitted by e-mail to philoeco@sciencespo-lille.eu in English or French, with a brief curriculum vita, postal and email addresses.
DEADLINES
15 October 2011: submission deadline
03 December 2011: meeting of the program committee
17 December 2011: notification to applicants
14 May 2012: full paper submission deadline
For more information, please contact: philoeco@sciencespo-lille.eu
EVENT
A selection of papers will be published in a special issue of the Cahiers d’Economie
Politique-Papers in Political Economy Organizers’ intent is to publish other papers in a separated publication
MANAGING COMMITTEE
Arnaud Berthoud, Lille1, CLERSE - Jiména Hurtado, Universidad de Los Andes,
PHARE - Patrick Mardellat, Sciences Po Lille, CLERSE - Delphine Pouchain,
Sciences Po Lille, CLERSE - Shirine Sabéran, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, PHARE -
Richard Sobel, Lille1, CLERSE

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