A critical note on the scientific conception of economics: claiming for a methodological pluralism

Opponents of mainstream economics have not yet called attention to the lack of in-depth examination of the general scientific conception of modern economics. However, economic science cannot consistently fulfil the epistemological and ontological requirements of the scientific standards underlying this conception. What can be scientifically recognized as true cannot be answered, neither through the actual ontological structure of the object of observation nor through a methodological demarcation. These limitations necessarily lead to the claim for both a pragmatic and a radical methodological pluralism.

Filone di Larissa e l’Assioco

This short paper is a critical note of the recent volume on the pseudo-Platonic dialogue Axiochus edited by A. Beghini ([Platone], Assioco. Saggio introduttivo, edizione critica, traduzione e commento, Baden-Baden: Academia Verlag, 2020). This scholar assumes the possibility of attributing the dialogue to Philo of Larissa or his circle. This hypothesis, although well argued in the book, faces some exegetical difficulties concerning the content of the dialogue and the hardly reconstructible philosophy of Philo himself. In this note I will critically discuss the conclusions reached by Beghini in his prestigious book starting from the (alleged) sceptical vein which would be present in the pseudo-Platonic work, whose dating likely presupposes (also) the Epicurean conception of death.

Logica modernorum

Logica modernorum. A critical note on Habermas’s portrait of medieval philosophy In his monumental history of philosophy, the eminent scholar Jürgen Habermas has managed to provide us with a thorough and very nuanced overview of thousands of years of western thought. The famous philosopher paints an impressive picture of the vicissitudes of the modernisation processes featuring in the history of western philosophy. The Leitmotiv of Habermas’s narrative is the way in which throughout history philosophy dealt with the question concerning the relationship between faith and reason. When it comes to the Middle Ages, it is not surprising that Habermas should focus on the opposition between Thomas Aquinas and William of Ockham. However, by confining himself to the concepts of fides and ratio, he completely overlooks thirteenth-century developments in the domain of logic. To take note of these developments is fundamental to understand the process of modernisation in philosophy. The aim of this paper is to fill in the gap, by concentrating on thirteenth-century discussions of necessity and (logical) consequences.

Is More Mittelstand the Answer? Firm Size and the Crisis of Democratic Capitalism

Corporate concentration is currently being discussed as a core reason for the crisis of democratic capitalism. It is seen as a prime mover for wage stagnation and alienation, economic inequalities and discontent with democracy. A tacit coalition of progressive anti-monopoly critiques and small business promoters considers more deconcentrated corporate structures to be a panacea for the crisis of democratic capitalism, arguing that small firms in competition are better for employment, equality and democracy. This paper offers a brief outline of ideas of the anti-monopoly and small business ideal and critically evaluates whether a more deconcentrated economy may live up to these promises. While we agree that the plea for strengthened antitrust enforcement contains relevant and promising prospects for reform, our analysis concludes on a decidedly critical note. In particular, we caution against romanticized notions of the small capitalist firm.

The Attitude of The Tablighi Jamaat Toward Covid-19 Pandemic

Covid-19 pandemic, which struck the world globally and rapidly, has caused significant fatalities. The government has implemented strict health protocols to suppress the spread of coronavirus. The reckless attitude of Tablighi Jamaat to hold “ijtima” amidst the massive spread of the virus is considered as an anomaly in preventing the Covid-19 pandemic and contradicts with the Fatwa of MUI (Indonesian Ulama Council) No. 14 of 2020 regarding the Implementation of Worship during Covid-19 Condition. This paper aims to find out the attitude of Tablighi Jamaat toward pandemic from the perspective of ḍarūrah (Naẓariyyat al-Ḍarūrah) theory by Wahbah al-Zuḥaylī. The writer gives a critical note of the arguments expressed by the Tablighi Jamaat and trying to show a more enlightening reconstruction of the fiqh (Islamic law) paradigm. The results of the study show that Tablighi Jamaat is a religious group that does not care about Covid-19. This attitude was triggered by the assumption that the existence of coronavirus is still in doubt. The doubt generates the understanding of fiqh that has not considered the corona issues as the ‘udhr category, which allows rukhṣah and abort the original law (‘aẓīmah), either in mashaqqah or ḍarūrah. The article assumes that the religious group’s narration that ignored the Covid-19 gives its members the feeling of peace and comfort, but it is counter-productive with the attempt to prevent the spread of Covid-19. It is necessary to reconstruct the fiqh paradigm to bring together science and religion, which is marked by the application of religious reasoning and sciences at the same time.