Abstract

CORTES LANDAZURY, Raúl. Alternative paradigm or dominant economic speech? Tension and revolution signals around a "greened" discipline. Semest. Econ. [online]. 2007, vol.10, n.20, pp. 49-66. ISSN 0120-6346.

Before pre-eminency of the deductive hypothetical method and the extension of the general balance model to the study of all phenomena of economic field, some theoretical trends are against "hegemony" of neoclassic theory and its particular way to conceive society-nature relation. This article intends to establish the degree of influence some dissident epistemological ideas have on the conceptual and methodological structure of economic science which deals with environmental problems. This article analyzes the meaning of analytical categories which have arisen from scientific discussion on environment; it states controversy of economics scopes concerning development studies, ecological economics importance as an alternative proposal based on the notion of paradigm, and concludes mentioning the degree of advance of critical ideas of dominant trend, without providing them a revolutionary character.

Keywords : Environmental economics; ecological economics; sustainable development; scientific paradigm; critical realism.