Some heterodox economists, most notably Tony Lawson, have come under suspicion of not being true pluralists, but 'strategic pluralists': their advocacy of pluralism is thought to be merely instrumental to a hidden monist agenda. This paper does not aim to judge the accused but rather to assess the accusations; the focus is on clarifying the notion of pluralism itself. First a paradox is found to lie at the core of scientific pluralism. Different responses to this paradox can be traced to different views on pluralism found in the literature. The resulting classification allows an analysis of the current controversy among pluralists and provides an understanding of the different aspects of the debate. Copyright The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Cambridge Political Economy Society. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.
