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Formalism in Economics: Perspectives from Philosophy of Mathematics

Patricia Marino

Economics and Philosophy2026https://doi.org/10.1017/s0266267126100686article
AJG 2ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

This paper engages with recent work on formalization in economics to develop a new perspective on mathematization. Boylan and O’Gorman draw on foundations of mathematics to argue that classical mathematics is inappropriate for economics; intuitionistic foundations and constructive mathematics should be used instead. The use of real analysis would be blocked and equilibrium results undermined. I argue that their line of thought faces several challenges; however, I then draw on their analyses and the philosophy of applied mathematics to propose a novel approach in which questions about mathematization are properly understood as questions about the contextual aptness of relevant idealizations.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/s0266267126100686

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@article{patricia2026,
  title        = {{Formalism in Economics: Perspectives from Philosophy of Mathematics}},
  author       = {Patricia Marino},
  journal      = {Economics and Philosophy},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/s0266267126100686},
}

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Formalism in Economics: Perspectives from Philosophy of Mathematics

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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