How Economists Think: A Kantian Interpretation of Mainstream Economics [Hardcover]

Introduction? Main Hypotheses of This Work?1. The Essence of Economics?2. Economics of Persons and Things?3. The Centrality of Utility?4. Uncertainty, Completeness, Equilibrium:? Rationality?5. The Economics of Knowledge and Information?6. Will the Philosophies of Economics Converge??7. Postscript:? What Have We Concluded About Our Initial Hypotheses??Index

Many philosophers today take the empiricist or rationalist stance that mainstream economics is narrow, simplistic, and over determinate.? For their part too, most economists dont know much formal philosophy. The purpose of the present book is to help bridge this great divide between philosopher and economist.?

Steven Buccola is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Applied Economics at Oregon State University, where his research has focused on the economics of science and technology and his teaching on graduate-level microeconomic theory.  He is Distinguished Fellow and Past President of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, was Editor of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University, a Wade Awardee for Excellence in Teaching at Oregon State University, and a committee member with the National Research Council, National Academies, Washington, D.C., in a review of USDA-funded research.

Many philosophers today take the empiricist or rationalist stance that mainstream economics is self-centered and na?ve.  For their part too, most economists dont know much formal philosophy.

The purpose of the present book is to help bridge this great divide between philosopher and economist.  Arguing for the person-centered mainstream economics over what would be an objects-centelST