Individualismo metodologico, cambiamento sociale e politiche pubbliche: Published in Sociologia n. 2/2015. Rivista quadrimestrale di Scienze Storiche e Sociali. Virtuosità e corruzione dell'individualismo

This article follows the methodological debate between holism and individualism, retracing its origins in the writings of sociologist like Weber, Simmel and Mises, and de-homonogenises the methodological individualism of the sociological and Austrian economics tradition from that adopted by positive neoclassical economics. It is argued that the latter, in building on a conception of human action based on substantive knowledge and fully maximizing behavior, dramatically fails to understand the role of institutions. The former, building on limited knowledge and rationality, and social cooperation, provides a better tool-box to understand institutional change, and for this very reason ended up influencing the most interesting new directions of research in social sciences. Methodological individualism, by providing a dynamic theory of institutional change, helps understanding the unintentional process of social change, but it also provides valuable insights for guiding intentional social change through public policy. Thus it reveals its relevance for current debates.