The Nature and Dynamics of Socio-Economic Paradigms

Usually scholars use the concept of paradigm in the Kuhnian sense: most of the times this term is used as synonymous of theoretical framework, other times as synonymous of vision of the world. These claims seem to ignore how controversial is the Kuhnian definition of paradigm for natural and social sciences. There is not a clear definition of what a paradigm is, its characteristics and the difference between a paradigm and a revolution or progress. In the present contribution, a new definition of paradigm with a detailed description of its features and its peculiarities with respect to other theoretical movements is presented. According to this new general definition, the socio-economic paradigms that have characterized the history of socio-economic thought have been analysed, with the conviction that a better understanding of the past is fundamental for a real awareness of future challenges.