ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that standard positions and arguments for and against scientific realism do not get much purchase in economics but that other considerations, less frequently discussed in the general realism debate, are important and live issues in thinking about economics. Standard arguments and positions are hard to apply because economics does not have apparently successful theories that might ground no miracle–type arguments or be doubted via a pessimistic induction, for example. However, social constructionist worries of the sort that argue accepted results and perspectives reflect social processes that have only weak ties to evidence are serious but have to be argued case by case. Equally, the widespread presence of severely unrealistic models in economics raises important questions about taking a scientific realist position. I outline some of the issues involved in deciding whether antirealism is supported, which again I think requires looking at details case by case.
