Economics as Moral ScienceSpringer Science & Business Media, 2001 - 380 стор. Economics as Moral Science investigates the problem of the ethical neutrality of "mainstream" economic theory within the context of the methodology of economics as a science. Against the conventional wisdom, the author argues that there are serious moral presuppositions to the theory, but that economics could still count as a scientific or rational form of inquiry. The basic questions addressed - the ethical implications of economics, its status as a scientific mode of theory-construction, and the relation between these factors - are absolutely fundamental ones for an understanding of contemporary economics, the philosophy of the human sciences, and our current market culture. Moreover, the study provides a thorough philosophical analysis of the critical issues at stake from the inside, from the credible perspective of a particular, but foundational economic theory - the neoclassical theory of rational choice. |
Зміст
Introduction | 1 |
TheoryConstruction in Economic Science | 6 |
1 Verification and Idealization | 9 |
2 Explanation and Necessary Truth | 15 |
3 Necessary Generalizations and Corrigibility | 25 |
Rationality Values and Economic Theory | 30 |
2 Rationality and ValueAscriptions | 32 |
The Intransigence of Evaluative Concepts | 37 |
Essential Statements and Holisitic Theory | 170 |
2 WellBehaved Orderings and WellBehaved Individuals | 173 |
Wellbehaved Individuals and the Common Good | 175 |
4 Wellbehaved Orderings and the Common Good | 178 |
5 Empirical Realism and Mathematical Rigour | 183 |
6 Microeconomics and the QuineDuhem Thesis | 185 |
Economic Uncertainty and Logical Structure | 189 |
2 Uncertainty and Necessary Truth | 195 |
1 Excising Evaluative Concepts | 38 |
2 Explanatory Impoverishment | 41 |
3 Loss of Normative Applicability | 44 |
The Ethical Content of Formal Structures | 49 |
1 Maximizing and Moral Options | 51 |
2 Liberal or Illiberal Growth Ethic | 54 |
3 Consumer Consistency and its Value | 56 |
Rationality and Virtue | 69 |
Teleology and Utilitarian Economics | 79 |
1 Utilitarianism and the Reduction of Purposive Explanations | 80 |
2 Mechanistic Confusions | 85 |
3 Ethical and Psychological Hedonism | 87 |
A Thought Experiment | 90 |
Functionalism and the Systems Approach | 97 |
2 Functional Explanations and ValueLaden Theories | 98 |
Mechanism and Systems Theory | 100 |
Explanatory Adequacy | 105 |
Normative Adequacy | 112 |
Reasons Causes and Economic Methodology | 117 |
2 Necessary Connections Causality and Action | 120 |
3 Rational Causality Deliberation and Intentional Systems | 129 |
4 Deliberation and Ethical Conservativism | 133 |
S Marx Mill and Eternal Laws | 136 |
Justification Obligation and Consumer Motivation | 139 |
1 Reasons Norms and Motivations | 141 |
Economic Rules and Psychological Sanctions | 147 |
Mills Proof | 151 |
Chapter 10 The Problems Related | 155 |
2 Normative Idealization and Necessary Truth | 158 |
Myrdal | 163 |
4 Ideal Facts | 167 |
Maximizing and Satisficing | 197 |
4 Maximizing and Regret Theory | 209 |
Economic Uncertainty and Consumer Autonomy | 216 |
Market Knowledge and Spontaneous Order | 217 |
2 Consumer Sovereignty and Epistemic Individualism | 220 |
3 Product Complexity and Information Vector | 224 |
4 Inverting the Frame | 229 |
Akrasia and SelfDeception | 231 |
6 Autonomy and Adaptation | 234 |
7 Autonomy and Paternalism | 236 |
From Normative Theory to Empirical Science | 243 |
1 Converting Economic Norms into Economic Facts | 244 |
2 Methodological Implications | 248 |
3 The Regulative Primacy of ValueJudgments | 251 |
4 An Empiricist Rejoinder | 254 |
5 Empiricism or PostEmpiricism? | 255 |
Neoclassical Economics and Scientific Utopias | 260 |
Reporting and Prescribing Values | 262 |
3 Testing an Economic Utopia | 266 |
Neoclassical Economics and the Rational Justifiability of Moral Principles | 274 |
2 Noncognitivism and Moral Arguments | 275 |
Hume | 282 |
The Link with Neoclassical Economics | 285 |
5 Rationality and Basic Motivating States | 288 |
6 Rational Ends and Moral Science | 296 |
Conclusion | 303 |
Notes | 309 |
References | 355 |
372 | |
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Загальні терміни та фрази
action action-choices actual consumers alternative analysis antecedent conditions argued assumption axioms basic behaviourist beliefs causal ceteris paribus Chap Chapter choice theory claim classical cognitive commodities commodity-bundle concept concerning consequences constraints construction consumer behaviour consumer choice consumer sovereignty consumer's consumption context descriptive desires economic behaviour economic methodology economic theory empirical empiricist epistemic ethical evaluative expected utility explanation explanatory formulation function goal Hence homo economicus human behaviour hypotheses ideal implications indifference curve individual consumer interpretation kind laws logical meaning mechanistic methodology moral principles Moreover motivation neo-classical economics neo-classical economists neo-classical theory Nevertheless non-cognitivist normative objects observed particular philosophical pleasure postulates preferences priori psychological hedonism purchasing R. M. Hare rational agent rational choice rational consumer rational economic reason satisfaction satisfy scientific theory social structure theoretical theorists theory of choice theory of consumer theory of rational truth University Press Utilitarian value-judgments wants Welfare Economics