On the Ideological Foundations of Environmental Policy
Author(s)
Underwood, Daniel A.; King, Paul
Abstract
Arguments in the philosophy of science have suggested that ideological preconceptions underlie all analysis, including economic analysis. The ideological basis of economic analysis is called “metaeconomics.” As long as different groups of economists have different ideological (metaeconomic) foundations, an objective resolution of debated issues cannot take place. This paper examines the differences in the metaeconomic first principles and the resulting analytic and policy conclusions of two schools in environmental economic analysis: neoclassical economics and the steady-state approach.
