Content and purpose
The role of economists in the practical affairs of government and business has dramatically expanded since the end of the second world war. If economics could certainly help for decision making, it is required to understand how it is producing knowledge to assess the relevance of economics in the realm of decision making. Understanding methodology is a prerequisite for assessing the relevance and value of economics.
The purpose of this class will be to help students to acquire a better understanding of methodologies commonly used by economists and the philosophy underlying them.
Tentative schedule
Lecture 1. Introduction & what is research?
Lecture 2. Typology of research
Garreth Hardin, The Tragedy of the Commons
Elinor Ostrom, Beyond Markets and States
Lecture 3/4. Overview of the main paradigms in economics
Harold Breimyer, Scientific principle and practice in Agricultural economics: an historical review
Milton Friedman, The Methodology of Positive Economics
Alan Randall, What Practicing Agricultural Economists Really Need to Know About Methodology
Lecture 5. A bit of heterodox epistemology: Kuhn and Feyerabend
Alan Randall, What Practicing Agricultural Economists Really Need to Know About Methodology
Lecture 6. What is a model and how to build one?
Ronald Coase, The Problem of Social Cost
Lecture 7. How to assess the value of a model?
Ronald Coase, The Problem of Social Cost
Lecture 8. How to write a literature review
Lecture 9. How to collect data?