Bringing emotions into post-Northian institutional economics: a reading inspired by John Dewey

Abstract The article examines the contributions of John Dewey’s philosophical thought to an institutionalist conception that integrates the dynamics of emotions to enrich the conception of action and the analysis of the links between institutions and individuals. We first demonstrate the close connections between the enactivist approach underlying the post-Northian cognitive analysis of institutions and John Dewey’s situational approach. We then identify the main features and functions of emotions in the pragmatist’s theory. Subsequently, we outline three levels – emotional rationality, communication, and collective emotions – that illustrate how the incorporation of emotions enriches the study of institutions, drawing on North’s cognitive model. Finally, we illustrate the scope of Dewey’s theory of emotions through a concrete case (the France Télécom case), in which emotions serve as a driving force for actors’ creativity, changes in managerial practices, and a transformation of legal norms.