Research: The performative use of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A philosophical analysisIs the GDP a mere statistical indicator or an untapped key to unlock ethical and sustainable growth? The research will explore the possibility that models used for economic analysis contain self-fulfilling hypotheses, leading to distinctive political and ethical consequences. Therefore, it follows that the political responses tend to contrast those consequences deriving from the use of certain models in an attempt to rectify. The research therefore turns to an analysis of GDP: as the main macro-economic indicator, it plays a central role in economic policy decisions, especially in relation to the country's debt situation. The analysis follows the approach indicated by the performative thesis. The latter states that economic theory executes, shapes and structures the economy, rather than simply observing and describing how it works. The research therefore verifies the possible performative use of GDP and evaluates its impacts on economic policy decisions. Awareness of these assumptions can contribute to the development of an intervention on the reference model, eliminating the unwanted performative effects and thus favouring the formulation of policies in preventing rather than correcting.
keywords
Philosophy of economics, performativity, self-fulfillment, theory, model, ethic, policy, sustainability, gdp, growth, finance