The resilience of modern neoclassical economics – a case study in the light of Ludwik Fleck’s ‘harmony of deception’

Abstract

In this paper, Ludwick Fleck’s philosophy and sociology of science will be briefly outlined in order to establish a ‘theory of the resilience of scientific misapprehension’. This theory will be use in order to gain insights into the modes of operation of defence and resilience of modern neoclassical economics in the face of recent harsh critique by singling out a case of extreme deviation of theoretical prediction from empirical evidence: minimum wages’ impact on employment.

Keywords

• minimum wages
• neoclassical economics
• philosophy of science
• ludwick fleck