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Neoclassical Theory Structure and Theory Development

An Empirical-Philosophical Case Study Concerning the Theory of International Trade

  • Book
  • © 1983

Overview

Authors:
  1. Bert Hamminga

    1. Katholieke Hogeschool Tilburg, Tilburg, The Netherlands

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Part of the book series: Studies in Contemporary Economics (CONTEMPORARY, volume 4)

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Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-IX
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  2. Introduction

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 1-10

  3. Two Central Theses in the Theory of International Trade and Their Place in the Economists’ World View

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 11-29

  4. The Emergence of Interesting Theorems

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 30-46

  5. Economic “Normal Science” Centred around Interesting Theorems

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 47-65

  6. Consolidation: Metatheory on Theory Structure and Theory Development in the Ohlin-Samuelson Research Programme

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 66-70

  7. The Hypothesis of the Plausibility Strategy

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 71-96

  8. Problems of Econometrics. The Mutal Independency Thesis

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 97-101

  9. Conclusion: Results and Relevance

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 102-137

  10. Appendix: A Scheme for Formalization of the Link between Theory Development and Plausibilism

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 138-145

  11. Appendix: The Irrefutability of the Samuelson-Type Meaningfull Theorems

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 146-151

  12. Appendix: The Friedman Controversy and its Consensus

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 152-160

  13. Appendix: Ricardian versus Neoclassical FEA

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 161-163

  14. References

    • Bert Hamminga
    Pages 164-169

  15. Back Matter

    Pages 170-176
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Keywords

About this book

There are quite a lot of recent books on the methodology of economics, but all proceed from one or more of the following three fundamental assumptions: 1) Meta-apriorism: it is a priori believed that the results of the philosophy of science of the past decades, associated with the names of Popper, Kuhn and Lakatos, yield conceptual frameworks that can be used to describe the product of the economist's endeavours. 2) Synchronism: it is believed that the inspection of a "theory" of economics, the presentation of some economic belief at a point in time, reveals its logical structure and ipso facto the "method" by which the "theory" is constructed. 3) CreduZity: it is believed that what economists themselves say on their own methods is true, or at least of primary relevance. In this book, I endeavour to show that these assumptions are false. First, the philosophies of science by Popper, Kuhn and Lakatos did not succeed in constructing a conceptual framework capable of describing theory development in economics. Secondly, this can only be seen as soon as not Zogic but history is taken to be the referee judging the adequacy of metatheories (diachronism). Thirdly the results of metaempiricaZ (not-meta-aprioristic), diachronic (not-synchronic) research reveals that even economists themselves turn out frequently to have inadequate metatheories upon which it is dangerous to rely (suspicion instead of credulity) .

Authors and Affiliations

  • Katholieke Hogeschool Tilburg, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    Bert Hamminga

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Neoclassical Theory Structure and Theory Development

  • Book Subtitle: An Empirical-Philosophical Case Study Concerning the Theory of International Trade

  • Authors: Bert Hamminga

  • Series Title: Studies in Contemporary Economics

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-69349-6

  • Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1983

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-540-12816-8Published: 01 August 1983

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-642-69349-6Published: 06 December 2012

  • Series ISSN: 1431-8806

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: X, 176

  • Number of Illustrations: 2 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: International Economics

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