Introduction: Comparative Law and Interdisciplinary Bridges

Abstract

This Special Issue digs into contemporary debates about the roles of comparative and interdisciplinary
research. The field of economics is the main reference point, but the Special Issue reflects more broadly on
the relationships with non-legal disciplines. A host of theoretical and practical hurdles need to be tackled
before the benefits of a sustained cross-disciplinary dialogue become visible. This introduction connects
debates on Comparative Law and Economics to broader methodological debates taking place in the legal
and social sciences. It advances the argument that Comparative Law and Economics needs to address the
demands of methodological pluralism. A distinction between a weak and a strong version of pluralism lays
the ground for the identification of research strategies to be pursued.