1st Edition

Foundations of Economic Method A Popperian Perspective, 2nd Edition

By Lawrence A. Boland Copyright 2006
356 Pages
by Routledge

364 Pages
by Routledge

364 Pages
by Routledge

Many consider Foundations of Economic Method to be Lawrence Boland's best work. This updated edition is radically changed from the original and will be much appreciated by thinkers within economics. The book positions methodology vis-à-vis the current practice of economists and is all the better for it. Yet another book that not only deserves to be read by those within the field of economic... Read more

Prologue: Understanding the Methodology of Economics  Part 1: The 'Hidden Agenda' of Neoclassical Economics  1. The problem of Induction vs. the Problem with Induction  2. The Explanatory Problem of Individualism  Part 2: The Visible Agenda of Neoclassical Economics  3. Rationality vs. Maximization  4. Maximization and Game Theory  Part 3: Critical Applied Methodology  5. Ideal-Type Methodology and Intrumentalism  6. Psychologistic-Individualism and the Methodology of New Institutional Economics  7. Equilibrium-based Explanations vs. Individualism  8. Imperfect Knowledge vs. Imperfect Behaviour  9. From Macroseconomics to Evolutionary Game Theory  10.Time and Evolution in Economic Theory  Part 4: A Critique of Traditional Economic Methodology  11.Intrumentalism vs. Conventionalism: Against Rule-based Methodology  12.Optimistic and Defeatist Conventionalism  13.Falsifiability without Popper an the Agenda  Part 5: Putting Popper on the Agenda  14.Understanding Popper's Theory of Science  15.Situational Analysis and Neocalssical Explanation  Part 6: Applied Methodology for Economics Model Building  16.Knowledge and Learning in Economic Models  17.Individualism and Social Knowledge  18.Obstacles to Building Realistic Models.  Epilogue: Problem-oriented Methodology: Towards a Popperian 'small-m' Methodology of Economics

Biography

Lawrence A. Boland is Professor of Economics at Simon Fraser University, Canada. He has published widely within economic methodology and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.