A pragmatist contribution to 4E economics
Cambridge Journal of Economics May 29, 2026 DOI: 10.1093/cje/beag014 (opens in new tab)
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AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that pragmatist ideas, especially James's and Dewey's accounts of emotion and the organic circuit, can help 4E economics reconceive rationality as an enactive-organic adaptation, and contends that Kahneman's reason/intuition distinction rests on an epistemological dualism informing Behavioural Economics. |
Abstract
Abstract The article explores the potential of the recent ‘Pragmatist Turn’ in 4E cognition to enhance the theoretical framework of a 4E economics approach. The paper will be structured as follows. Firstly, Kahneman’s concepts of reason and intuition are exposed, highlighting the epistemological dualism that informs Behavioural Economics. Next, various proposals for redefining the concept of embodied bounded rationality within the context of 4E cognition are presented. Finally, the article inquires about some pragmatist concepts that might contribute to 4E economics to redefine rationality as an enactive-organic adaptation. Specifically, it refers to James’s idea of emotion as a behavioural response to a problematic situation and its reprise in Dewey’s theories of emotion and organic circuit, which emphasizes the ideo-sensorimotor process.
Citations in the library
Cites 5
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