The Fixed Point: A Review of John von Neumann’s Methodology

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of John von Neumann’s methodology and provides a criticism of the ’ordinary’ historical explanations concerning von Neumann’s writings. His broad multidisciplinary works are traditionally analysed within separate fields, completely detached from social and multidisciplinary context. This can often lead to oversimplified historical explanations. As an illustration I discuss a lesser-known article, which plays a central role in general economics in the postwar period. This is, however, the only one which concerns directly theoretical economics. I review the possible explanations concerning his motivations to write this article and propose a different historical approach to outline his exceptional train of thoughts.