Non-Aristotelian Elements in Carl Menger's Methodology

Abstract According to the dominant interpretation, Carl Menger, the founder of the Austrian school, was an Aristotelian methodologist of social science. As this article attempts to demonstrate, this influence was not decisive in shaping Menger's methodology. In fact, Menger shared several core positions with modern thinkers. Such non-Aristotelian threads in Menger tackled in the article encompass his views on essentialism and realism, a priori knowledge, the classification of sciences, and scientific value-freedom, as well as methods of historical inquiry. As is shown, while unattachable to any specific philosophical school, those five elements constitute a fairly consistent, non-Aristotelian account of economic methodology.