Advocating Methodological Pluralism in Comparative Law and Economics
Giuseppe Bellantuono is Full Professor of Comparative Law at the University of Trento. This post is based on his recent article Introduction: Comparative Law and Interdisciplinary Bridges, published in the Special Issue of the Comparative Law Review “Rescuing Comparative Law and Economics? Exploring Successes and Failure of an Interdisciplinary Experiment” (G. Bellantuono ed., 2023).
What kind of interdisciplinary scholar do you want to be? There is no single right answer to this question. Interdisciplinary studies are a blossoming field that moves in multiple, and often unexpected, directions. Furthermore, each interdisciplinary dialogue can take on different meanings. Comparative Law and Economics (CLE) studies are a useful example of such trends. In the last thirty years, they have tried to put together the sophisticated theoretical apparatus of economic theory and the deep understanding of institutional contexts supplied by comparative law. Today, CLE does not take on a single meaning, is loosely associated with a host of different works of literature, and involves much more than the dialogue between the two original disciplines.
In introducing the Special Issue on Comparative Law and Economics for the Comparative Law Review, I map the different types of interdisciplinary exchange in the CLE literature. I then suggest that a distinction between weak and strong methodological pluralism helps manage the variety of interdisciplinary approaches. Weak methodological pluralism assumes a more limited reciprocal influence among the disciplines involved. It also assumes that a plurality of perspectives is only considered in the early stages of the research process. Strong methodological pluralism entails deeper influences throughout the whole research process. Both can be defended. The added value of strong methodological pluralism lies in its focus on strategies that combine descriptive, explanatory, and normative perspectives.
Lively debates on methodological pluralism can be found in comparative law, economic theory, and many other disciplines. Trying to understand what they have in common, where they differ, and why opens up an exciting research agenda for many years to come.
Cite as: Giuseppe Bellantuono, Advocating Methodological Pluralism in Comparative Law and Economics, LAW AS SCIENCE: LEGAL METHOD LAB (April 12, 2023), https://www.lawasscience.org/legal-method-lab/advocating-methodological-pluralism-in-comparative-law-and-economics.
