HOMO OECONOMICUS AND THE REAL-WORLD

Economics and its most central model, home oeconomicus have special ch aracteristics which makes it difficult to maintain the traditional vie w of economics as a value-free science and the distinction positive-no rmative. There is within economics a natural science-logistic traditio n, but also a humanistic-ethical tradition. Home oeconomicus, combined with its theoretical optimality characteristics, is a very seductive metaphor. Because the distinction positive-normative in many cases is blurred, I suggest that we should try to complement the home oeconomic us-model with a theory that really reflects ethical-ideal characterist ics and at the same time gives us a better understanding of what reall y motivates man.