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Cambridge Journal of Economics Advance Access originally published online on October 26, 2008
Cambridge Journal of Economics 2009 33(2):175-191; doi:10.1093/cje/ben036
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Cambridge Political Economy Society. All rights reserved.

The economics of identity and the identity of economics?

Ben Fine*

* University of London, UK

Address for correspondence: Professor Ben Fine, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG, UK; email: bf{at}soas.ac.uk

Drawing upon individual and social choice theory, the economic approach to identity associated with Akerlof and Kranton is critically assessed in terms of its own definitional and technical conundrums. This leads on to an external critique in terms of the limited extent to which identity can be addressed by mainstream economic methods. Indeed, the latter essentially sets aside the insights into the nature of identity that emerged with modernism, let alone postmodernism. As a result, the enterprise of constructing an economics of identity is set in the context of recent changes in, and disagreement over interpretation of, the identity of contemporary economics.

Key Words: Identity in Economics • Recent Developments in Economics • Economics Imperialism

JEL classifications: D01, D63, Z13

It's identity, stupid. Not cost and benefit (McCloskey, 1999, p. 52).

Manuscript received April 2, 2007; final version received June 26, 2008.


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