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Should the History of Economic Thought be Included in Undergraduate Curricula?

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  • Alessandro Roncaglia

    (Department of Statistical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Mainstream views concerning the uselessness or usefulness of HET are illustrated. These rely on a hidden assumption: a 'cumulative view' according to which the provisional point of arrival of contemporary economics incorporates all previous contributions in an improved way. Critiques of positivism led philosophy of science to recognise the existence of different approaches – in economics, as in other sciences. Conceptualisation, recognised by Schumpeter as the first stage in economic theorising, is the stage in which the different visions of the world underlying the different approaches, take shape – and are better recognised. In this, HET plays an essential role. As an illustration, the differences between the classical and marginalist conceptualisations of the economy are illustrated. Thus HET is essential in both undergraduate and graduate economic curricula, as a decisive help towards a better understanding and evaluation of formalised theories/models in the first case, and as an education to the philological method of research, essential in the first stage of theorising, in the case of graduate curricula.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandro Roncaglia, 2014. "Should the History of Economic Thought be Included in Undergraduate Curricula?," Economic Thought, World Economics Association, vol. 3(1), pages 1-1, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wea:econth:v:3:y:2014:i:1:p:1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    8. Alessandro Roncaglia, 2009. "Keynes and probability: An assessment," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 489-510.
    9. Maria Cristina Marcuzzo & Annalisa Rosselli, 2002. "Economics as History of Economics: The Italian Case in Retrospect," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 34(5), pages 98-109, Supplemen.
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    Cited by:

    1. Alessandro Roncaglia, 2014. "Teoria dell'occupazione: due impostazioni a confronto," Moneta e Credito, Economia civile, vol. 67(267), pages 243-270.
    2. A. Maltsev., 2015. "History of Economic Thought, Quo vadis?," VOPROSY ECONOMIKI, N.P. Redaktsiya zhurnala "Voprosy Economiki", vol. 3.
    3. Dieter Bögenhold, 2021. "Economics in the Social Science Spectrum: Evolution and Overlap with Different Academic Areas," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 49(4), pages 335-347, December.
    4. Dieter Bögenhold, 2020. "History of Economic Thought as an Analytic Tool: why Past Intellectual Ideas Must Be Acknowledged as Lighthouses for the Future," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 26(1), pages 73-87, February.
    5. Sarah F. Small, 2023. "Infusing Diversity in a History of Economic Thought Course: An Archival Study of Syllabi and Resources for Redesign," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 49(3), pages 276-311, June.
    6. Roncaglia, Alessandro, 2015. "¿Debería la Historia del Pensamiento Económico ser incluida en los planes de estudio de Economía en pregrado?," Borradores Departamento de Economía 17492, Universidad de Antioquia, CIE.
    7. Alessandro Roncaglia, 2014. "The theory of employment: two approaches compared," PSL Quarterly Review, Economia civile, vol. 67(270), pages 241-268.

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