1st Edition
Foundations of Economic Method A Popperian Perspective, 2nd Edition
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 methodology, but also by those involved in economics at all. Boland is back.
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.
