Limitations on the Perspective of Representative Economic Agent: Agent Based Model’s Alternative

johndavis — Sat, 30 Sep 2017 10:10:37 +0000

Economic Science emerges from the questions about the behavior human, conflict and social order. Smith, preoccupied with the complexity of social relations and economic phenomena, point out the individual as basis of Political Economics. For the author, social and economic order are maintained in function of the singular behavior of subjects in internal conflict between the search for self-interest and the necessity of social acceptance. A superficial lecture of his work, however, gave the basis of the development of neoclassical economic approach and the simplification of the individual and economic order, with objective to provide predictions about the phenomena, ordered by general and simplistic laws of operation. The homo economicus, caricature of the selfish subject of Smith, with unbounded rationality, homogeneous and self-interested, is the central of the economic order, static, in equilibrium and universal, like the perfect world of Newton, symbol of modern science. However, the simplistic model of individual as central to the neoclassical theory and economics mainstream implicates in difficulties to apprehender the economic phenomena, on a complexity and real world. The agent-based model consider the Economy as complex and dynamic system, in constant evolution, based on the mutative and interactive economic behavior. Through computer simulations, this model generate scenarios based on the change of rules in function of the adaptation and evolution of interactive individuals. Furthermore, consider the individual bounded-rationality and heterogeneity, unbalanced and instable environment, with maintenance of mathematical instruments, search precision, objectivity and robustness. This work aims to present the formation and evolution of Economic Science and the figure of representative economic agent, basis of the Neoclassic Economic. Next, is exposed the agent-based model as methodological alternative for Economic Sciences. Its recognizes the limitations of the economic representative economic model and the incipience of the complexity perspective, however, is fundamental the dialogue and review of economic basis, in reason to best comprehend the economic phenomena on a complexity and real world.

Economic Science – Economic Philosophy

Limitations on the Perspective of Representative Economic Agent: Agent Based Model’s Alternative