Sheila Dow’s Open Systems Methodology

23 Pages Posted: 12 Oct 2022

See all articles by John B. Davis

John B. Davis

University of Amsterdam; Marquette University

Date Written: August 31, 2022

Abstract

This paper reviews Sheila Dow’s contributions to open systems thinking as a form of methodological argument and as an important foundation for pluralism in economics. It reviews the origins of her thinking in connection with her distinction between Cartesian/Euclidian and Babylonian thinking in the history of economics, discusses the further development of her views regarding open and closed systems in her 2002 Economic Methodology book and in connection with her ‘structured pluralism’ concept, discusses the 2005 paper co-authored with Victoria Chick, “The Meaning of Open Systems.” examines Dow’s and Chick’s view and critique of critical realism in regard to the relationship between models and theorizing and uses Piero Sraffa’s 1930s the open-closed distinction to provide a similar understanding of such boundaries and the relationship between models and theorizing, and finally comments on Dow’s contribution to open-closed systems thinking and pluralism in economics.

Keywords: Open systems, Babylonian, Euclidian, structured pluralism, critical realism, Samuels, Sraffa

JEL Classification: B41, B50

Suggested Citation

Davis, John B. and Davis, John B., Sheila Dow’s Open Systems Methodology (August 31, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4205705 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4205705

John B. Davis (Contact Author)

Marquette University ( email )

P.O. Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881
United States

University of Amsterdam ( email )

Amsterdam
Netherlands

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