Karl Mittermaier’s philosophical quest for a realist political economy. An introduction to the symposium

This introduction provides the theoretical and historical background necessary to understand Karl Mittermaier’s realist philosophy of economics. We discuss the major aspects of his philosophy of economics, his opposition to nominalism and his adherence to realism; the distinction between ex ante and ex post facts; his proximity (and distance) to Austrian economics. Then, we provide an overview of the papers that constitute this symposium.