From Newton’s Laws to Walras’ Equilibrium: A Historical Perspective on Determinism in Economics and Social Sciences

Focusing on a specific interaction between physics and economics, this study delves into the realm of econophysics and investigates the birth, evolution, and practical applications of this interdisciplinary field. This study explores the influence of Newton’s laws, the concept of gravity, and, more...

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Main Author: Luigi Capoani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Histories
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9252/5/1/9
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author Luigi Capoani
author_facet Luigi Capoani
author_sort Luigi Capoani
collection DOAJ
description Focusing on a specific interaction between physics and economics, this study delves into the realm of econophysics and investigates the birth, evolution, and practical applications of this interdisciplinary field. This study explores the influence of Newton’s laws, the concept of gravity, and, more generally, mechanical physics on the development of economic thought. It examines the application of Newtonian principles in interpreting economic dynamics, with a particular focus on the contributions of neoclassical economists and Isard’s gravitational model, offering insights into the intricate dynamics of economic equilibrium in complex systems. Finally, these concepts are situated within the broader debate between determinism and indeterminism in the social sciences.
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spelling doaj-art-46e26606b96d42069a5bd89e76501d412025-08-20T03:43:11ZengMDPI AGHistories2409-92522025-02-0151910.3390/histories5010009From Newton’s Laws to Walras’ Equilibrium: A Historical Perspective on Determinism in Economics and Social SciencesLuigi Capoani0Department of Economics, University of Venice Ca’ Foscari, 30123 Venice, ItalyFocusing on a specific interaction between physics and economics, this study delves into the realm of econophysics and investigates the birth, evolution, and practical applications of this interdisciplinary field. This study explores the influence of Newton’s laws, the concept of gravity, and, more generally, mechanical physics on the development of economic thought. It examines the application of Newtonian principles in interpreting economic dynamics, with a particular focus on the contributions of neoclassical economists and Isard’s gravitational model, offering insights into the intricate dynamics of economic equilibrium in complex systems. Finally, these concepts are situated within the broader debate between determinism and indeterminism in the social sciences.https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9252/5/1/9determinism and indeterminismgravityeconophysicshistory of economics
spellingShingle Luigi Capoani
From Newton’s Laws to Walras’ Equilibrium: A Historical Perspective on Determinism in Economics and Social Sciences
Histories
determinism and indeterminism
gravity
econophysics
history of economics
title From Newton’s Laws to Walras’ Equilibrium: A Historical Perspective on Determinism in Economics and Social Sciences
title_full From Newton’s Laws to Walras’ Equilibrium: A Historical Perspective on Determinism in Economics and Social Sciences
title_fullStr From Newton’s Laws to Walras’ Equilibrium: A Historical Perspective on Determinism in Economics and Social Sciences
title_full_unstemmed From Newton’s Laws to Walras’ Equilibrium: A Historical Perspective on Determinism in Economics and Social Sciences
title_short From Newton’s Laws to Walras’ Equilibrium: A Historical Perspective on Determinism in Economics and Social Sciences
title_sort from newton s laws to walras equilibrium a historical perspective on determinism in economics and social sciences
topic determinism and indeterminism
gravity
econophysics
history of economics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9252/5/1/9
work_keys_str_mv AT luigicapoani fromnewtonslawstowalrasequilibriumahistoricalperspectiveondeterminismineconomicsandsocialsciences