The Research Center for Normative Economics, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University, was established in June 2014, and since then it continues to take on the role of hub for Normative Economics, which is a unique initiative in the world.
The aim of establishing this Center was to deepen and expand the horizon of economics to counter various difficult issues related to society. We, in particular, aim to contribute to academic research from the following three angles.
(1) Positive analysis of norms, i.e., studying the emergence, spread, and demise of norms logically, positively, and empirically.
(2) Normative analysis of facts, i.e., making explicit normative judgments implicitly made in the course of factual analysis.
(3) Normative (philosophical) analysis of norms, i.e., critically reexamining restrictive assumptions and institutional embeddedness of normative analyses (and analysts) themselves.
Normative economics covers a wide range of issues not only in economics but those in all areas of social sciences, including philosophy, ethics, sociology, law, and politics. Its method is closely linked with various fields of natural sciences, including physics, biology, life sciences, public health, and civil engineering. The mission of the Center is to promote deep understanding of the knowledge and wisdom of our predecessors, to learn from the latest findings and new ideas from all related fields of research, and to carefully identify and fully expand the potential of normative economics.
Any comments, and criticisms are more than welcome, and we sincerely hope you can actively participate in, contribute to, and benefit from our collaborations.
Chief researcher
Reiko Gotoh
Hitotsubashi University Official Web Site »
