Introduction: Comparative Law and Interdisciplinary Bridges

This Special Issue digs into contemporary debates about the roles of comparative and interdisciplinary research. The field of economics is the main reference point, but the Special Issue reflects more broadly on the relationships with non-legal disciplines. A host of theoretical and practical hurdles need to be tackled before the benefits of a sustained cross-disciplinary dialogue become visible. This introduction connects debates on Comparative Law and Economics to broader methodological debates taking place in the legal and social sciences. It advances the argument that Comparative Law and Economics needs to address the demands of methodological pluralism. A distinction between a weak and a strong version of pluralism lays the ground for the identification of research strategies to be pursued.