What is economics—a science, an art, or a social practice? This inquiry undertakes a philosophical examination of the discipline’s identity by interrogating its aims, methodological commitments, and foundational assumptions. Drawing on my interdisciplinary background in Economics, Data Science, and Public Policy, alongside research spanning central banking, taxation, climate policy, and international trade, I explore the enduring tension between positive and normative economics, the epistemological ambitions of formal modeling, and the conceptual limits of rational actor frameworks. These philosophical considerations are not merely abstract; they bear directly on policy domains such as monetary policy and carbon pricing. By critically unpacking the ontological and normative underpinnings of economic reasoning, I argue that the discipline’s methodological architecture and value orientations materially shape its engagement with contemporary challenges, including inequality and sustainability. This inquiry ultimately aims to reopen the question of what economics ought to be, and how its evolving identity might better align with the demands of contemporary society.