Rationalisation in Economics: Theory, Methodology and Action

Citation

Dow S (1998) Rationalisation in Economics: Theory, Methodology and Action. In: Dennis K K (ed.) Rationality in Economics: Alternative Perspectives. Recent Economic Thought Series, 62. Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 5-15. http://www.springer.com/economics/history+ec.+thoughts/book/978-0-7923-8114-3; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4862-7_2

Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to explore the possible applications in economics of the concept of rationalisation. Rationalisation involves the reconstruction, either of real relations or of arguments, according to some principles of rationality. It is a means of ‘making sense of' the real world, and of arguments, where ‘sense' is understood according to some particular framework of rationality.