Altruisme et modèle métaphorique

This article addresses the relationship between economics and biology from the specific methodological perspective of concept transfers. To understand in what way biological theories may prove useful for the study of economic problems, we define, with reference to the work of some philosophers of science, a methodological tool which we call the "metaphorical model". This instrument is then used to elucidate some aspects of Becker's model on altruism as well as the reasons why his analysis has not been considered in the end to be fully convincing or relevant.