Markets blown to bits: Comments on Mirowski’s “Markomata”

As Mirowski argues, the operational details of markets do indeed matter, for a variety of purposes. His aim to develop a comprehensive evolutionary theory of markets is a worthy goal. Despite the validity of many of his criticisms, his wholesale rejection of neoclassical economic concepts reaches too far. Similarly, Mirowski’s embrace of automata theory is unlikely to provide a sufficient foundation for the theory of markets we want.