On the Contribution of Experiments to an Ontology of Economics

Ontological research is rare in economics. Objects studied by economists have hardly been screened under the lenses of ontology to shed light on their existence and their way of existing. Between the empirical approaches used by economists, experiments are one of the most recent and fast-developing. This article inquires about the contribution that experiments may provide to the construction of an ontology of economics. The discussion shows that they – and their replications – are fundamental tools of research to unveil the existence of some objects that constitute the core of research in economics. Limitations of this approach are discussed.