An Empirical Philosophy of Economic Theory

摘要

From its origins in the mid-1970s till some time during the 1980s, discussions of economic methodology were dominated by falsificationism, the most frequently discussed philosophers being Popper and Lakatos, with Kuhn close behind. During this period one of the leading critics of falsificationism has been Daniel Hausman, who has argued that John Stuart Mill's methodology is, with certain modifications, basically right. The Inexact and Separate Science of Economics [1992a] provides the most developed statement of his position to date and is the more important of the two books under review. Essays on Philosophy and Economic Methodology [1992b] brings together seventeen essays published during the period 1980-91. Some of these contain material incorporated into The Inexact and Separate Science of Economics, but others explore themes that receive little attention there. Essays that should not be neglected are his survey of the field (Ch. 1), the essays on causality (Chs. 9-11) and explanatory progress (Ch. 14), and his general reflections on how the subject should be pursued (Chs. 16-17). Because it is the clearly the most important of these two books, this review will focus on The Inexact and Separate Science of Economics, With Some reference to Hausman's Essays Where this is appropriate.