Economic Themes (2008) 46 (4) 1, 1-14

METHODOLOGICAL HOLISM AND THE CONTEMPORARY MAINSTREAM IN ECONOMY


Dragoslav Kitanović, Dragan Petrović

Abstract: The basis of the methodological holism (methodological collectivism, organicism) is the position that all societal phenomena can only be explained by social structures, institutions or the culture of the society. This methodological procedure emphasizes that social relations dominate psycho-physical characteristics of individuals and accept the stance that attributes of the system define attributes of its constitutive elements. The goal is to penetrate into the essence of methodological holism and its basic postulates. In order to achieve that, the opinions of various theoretical paradigms will be taken into consideration. Special attention will be paid to relevancy and logical sustainability of the arguments that defend and attack the positions of methodological holism.

Keywords:  methodological holism; methodological individualism; collective mechanisms; institutionalization of individuals

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