The Past of the Futures: Inquiries Taking the Lens of Economic Philosophy: Introduction to the Special Section

The relation between the past and the future serves as a point ofdeparture for theories and perspectives in philosophy and economics. It istherefore not surprising that the economic philosophy also addresses thisrelation. The economist and philosopher Frank Knight had already pointed outa paradox in this relationship, which arises from the realization that the merepossibility of solving future problems rests on knowledge generated in the pastfor a future in which social reality may have changed. Building on this insight,our special issue brings together ontological, epistemological, pragmatic, andnormative questions that arise in economics, philosophy, and ethics, anddemonstrates how different conceptualizations of this relationship can shapecore concepts in these disciplines, such as agency, change, and responsibility. Weview uncertainty as an opportunity to rethink these concepts, highlighting formsof knowledge, judgment, and practical orientation that become indispensableonce continuity can no longer be taken for granted and certainty fades. However,expectations, which are inevitably based on past experiences, do not rule outopen possibilities.