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The irrelevance of methodology and the art of the possible: Reading Sen and Hirschman

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Author Info
Achin Chakraborty (Centre for Development Studies)
Abstract

Economic methodologists have observed that economists do not practice what they think their methodology is. Two positions follow from this. One insists on the need for `better' practice in maintaining `scientific' standard, while the other takes the literary turn. Following the second route we argue that appraisal of economic theories cannot be done by applying a general `scientific method' apart from practice. Methodological conversations, which are shaped by various strategies taken by practitioners to persuade each other, can only be studied and improved by reading the most persuasive of the authors in the discipline. Writings of Albert Hirschman and Amartya Sen are chosen to be read following our approach.

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Paper provided by Centre for Development Studies, Trivendrum, India in its series Centre for Development Studies, Trivendrum Working Papers with number 286.

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Length: 30 pages
Date of creation: Feb 1998
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Handle: RePEc:ind:cdswpp:286

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Related research
Keywords: Methodology positivism rhetoric methodological conversation internal criticism

Find related papers by JEL classification:
B - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. McCloskey, Donald N, 1983. "The Rhetoric of Economics," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 21(2), pages 481-517, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Kaldor, Nicholas, 1972. "The Irrelevance of Equilibrium Economics," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 82(328), pages 1237-55, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Achin Chakraborty, 2002. "The rhetoric of disagreement in reform debates," Centre for Development Studies, Trivendrum Working Papers 330, Centre for Development Studies, Trivendrum, India. [Downloadable!]
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