In the article, we propose a general theoretical framework to distinguish a set of possible options for integration between social sciences. Adopting the so-called ‘nation’ metaphor in order to investigate relationships between disciplines, the framework uses an analogy with Dani Rodrik’s ‘world political trilemma’ (whereby democracy—here self-determination of science—national sovereignty—here disciplines—and global economic integration—here disciplinary integration—are mutually incompatible) to distinguish three different roads to the realisation of the unity of social science (‘reductionism’, ‘integration’ and ‘complexity’). The framework is then applied to recent proposals for unifying the social sciences that have originated within the economics profession at a time of pervasive specialisation and increasing fragmentation. While discussing the origins, the feasibility and the desirability of disciplinary integration projects, we concentrate on the issue of pluralism in both social sciences and within economics and on the ‘structural’ conditions that would permit economics to participate in the development of a transdisciplinary behavioural science.

中文翻译：

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科学的统一与经济学的不统一

在本文中，我们提出了一个通用的理论框架来区分社会科学之间整合的一组可能选项。为了研究学科之间的关系，该框架采用了所谓的“国家”隐喻，与 Dani Rodrik 的“世界政治三难困境”（即民主——这里是科学的自决——国家主权——这里是学科——和全球经济）进行了类比。整合——这里是学科整合——是相互不相容的）来区分实现社会科学统一的三种不同途径（“还原论”、“整合”和“复杂性”）。然后，该框架被应用于最近提出的统一社会科学的提议，这些提议起源于经济学专业，当时专业化普遍化和日益分散化。