The Methodology of Economics
Or, How Economists Explain
2nd Edition
Published on 31. July 1992
Book
Paperback/Softback
316 pages
978-0-521-43678-6 (ISBN)
Description
This book is an examination of the nature of economic explanation. The opening chapters introduce current thinking in the philosophy of science and review the literature on methodology. Professor Blaug then turns to the troublesome question of the logical status of welfare economics, giving the reader an understanding of the outstanding issues in the methodology of economics. This is followed by a series of case studies of leading economic controversies, which shows how controversies in economics may be illuminated by paying attention to questions of methodology. A final chapter draws the strands together and gives the author's view of what is wrong with modern economics. This book is a revised and updated edition of a classic work on the methodology of economics, in which Professor Blaug develops his discussion of the latest developments in macroeconomics, general equilibrium theory and international trade theory. A new section on the rationality postulate is also added.
Reviews / Votes
'It is beyond doubt that Blaug's book is one of the few really outstanding works in the recent literature on economic methodology.' Andrea Salanti, Ricerche EconomicheMore details
Series
Edition
2nd Revised edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
Revised edition
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
515 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-43678-6 (9780521436786)
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Schweitzer Classification
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03/2011
2nd Edition
Cambridge University Press
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Book
08/1992
2nd Edition
Cambridge University Press
€49.60
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07/1992
Cambridge University Press
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Previous edition
Book
08/1992
2nd Edition
Cambridge University Press
€49.60
Article exhausted; check for reprint
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Content
Preface; Part I. What You Always Wanted to Know about the Philosophy of Science but Were Afraid to Ask: 1. From the received view to the views of Popper; 2. From Popper to the new heterodoxy; Part II. The History of Economic Methodology: 3. The verifications, a largely nineteenth-century story; 4. The falsifications, a wholly twentieth-century story; 5. The distinction between positive and normative economics; Part III. A Methodological Appraisal of the Neoclassical Research Program: 6. The theory of consumer behaviour; 7. The theory of fun; 8. General equilibrium theory; 9. Marginal productive theory; 10. Switching, reswitching, and all that; 11. The Heckscher-Ohlin theory of international trade; 12. Keynesians versus monetarists; 13. Human capital theory; 14. The new economics of the family; 15. The rationality postulate; Part IV. What Have We Now Learned about Economics?: 16. Conclusions; Glossary; Suggestions for further reading; Bibliography; Name index; Subject index.