From among philosophical concepts of explanation those referring to causes have been the most influential. The aim of this paper it to show that a particular kind of causal explanations, namely dispositional explanations are particularly suited to explain the workings of the world. Apart from purely philosophical arguments, I claim that the view treating dispositions as important elements of the basic ontology of nature is in line with the Christian worldview and the ways God impacts the world. Also, this paper (...) shows that dispositional explanations are not only appropriate in the domains studied by natural sciences but also in the ones being under investigation in social sciences, and thus the case of economics. (shrink)

The paper conceptualizes economic models as metaphors. It presents two different approaches to economic modeling. In the first one, economic models are treated as isolations which aim at representing the real world. In the second, they are conceptualized according to various philosophical approaches that are close to fictionalism. The aim of such modeling is to persuade and not to represent. Next, the author tries to escape the dichotomy between models as isolations and models as purely rhetorical devices by referring to (...) N. Cartwright’s understanding of economic models. The issue of their realism is also considered. The final conclusion states that models are very similar to metaphors. (shrink)