The unobservable as an economic category

The definition of the unobservable in the field of science is given. The ideas about the unobservable in philosophy, physics, economics, etc. are presented. In economic science, the unobservable is presented in two perspectives: as unobservable objects and processes and as constructed categories (concepts) designed to reflect the essential aspects of economic life. The role of abstractions in economic theory is shown. Economic theory is a collection of unobservable abstractions, and its development takes place on the basis of the construction of new abstractions. The system of abstractions, being a formal system, forms a particular economic theory, and the aggregate of those represents a general economic theory. A hypothesis about the internal non-contradictoriness of private economic theories is stated.