Jose Corpataux
University of Neuchatel
, Neuchatel, Switzerland, Olivier Crevoisier, Institute for Regional and Economic Research (IRER)
University of Neuchatel
, Neuchatel, Switzerland
Economic Theories and Space Transformation - Clarifying Spatio-temporal Postulates in Economic Theories and the Nature of their Results (assigned to theme
This article explores the idea that the different schools of economic thinking all have their own way – generally implicit – to consider space and time. These space-time conceptions strongly determine not only the way to question reality but also the explanatory sketches used to reproduce/figure out this same reality. The main interest in such a lecture of the different schools of economic thinking is to clarify the postulates/assumptions reflecting their conception of space and time. These postulates/assumptions determine however importantly the radical differences that we can observe between different theoretical traditions. Four criteria will be used to classify the different theories and their spatio-temporal conception. 1) Are space and time endogenous or exogenous in the models and theories used? Is economic logic autonomous, i.e. not influenced by the spatio-temporal frame? Or, in contrary, the latter have to be integrated in the explanatory sketches? 2) Is space to be considered as natural, immutable and given or as social, inherited and built ? For the first conception space is considered as an a-temporal scene, a fixed and intangible given that human action cannot transform. The second conception takes into account economic actors’ influence and considers space as a socio-historical product transformed by human actions. 3) Are space and time conceived in an abstract way as a mathematical space – as, for example, an Euclidean space – or in a concrete way, i.e. without dissociating explanatory sketch from its effective historical and geographical context/production ? 4) Are space and time objective, neutral entities, i.e. existing independently of observators or researchers ? Or, is the glance on these entities constitutive of space and time ? Such a problem setting is not fundamentally new – an increasing number of authors questioned time and uncertainty in economics while some others focused on space – however only a few have simultaneously worked on space and time. This article’s aim is to offer a panorama of the different perspectives existing in economics on the space and time question as well to suggest a typology.
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