Economic Methodology

Although it could be used as a core book in a pure methodological course, I use it as a supplementary text given the different nature of my course. In my opinion, the book could be used as a supplementary text in a variety of courses in economics. Indeed, it is able to clearly and comprehensively point out the main methodological challenge applying to the development of economic literature. In so doing, it represents a good background to build up students' knowledge in specific fields.' - Gianpiero Torrisi, University of Portsmouth 'The revised version of the book with the addition of the 'So what?' section is a welcome improvement. Indeed one of the missing elements of the first edition was the connection between methodological debates in philosophy of science, presented quite extensively throughout the text, and economic analyses carried out by economists. In other words an obvious question by an economics student could be why it would matter to study methodology in order to better understand economics. The 'Application' addition to each chapter tries to fill this gap and this is certainly good.' - Giancarlo Ianulardo, Exeter University 'These two books are nice complements. Boumans & Davis provides an approach of economic methodology within general philosophy of science while Maas treats methodological issues from an economic and historical perspective, with rather brief philosophical/methodological commentary.' - Melissa Vergara Fernandez, Erasmus University

Economic Methodology explores the status and character of economics as a social science and introduces students to philosophical issues underlying modern science. Essentially a philosophy of science for economists, it strengthens students' understanding and enhances their reasoning skills by introducing them to wider philosophical issues.Economic Methodology explores the status and character of economics as a social science and introduces students to philosophical issues underlying modern science. Approaching the subject as philosophy of science for economists, the authors use the historical developments in philosophy of science to frame this introduction to the field of economic methodology. By doing this they strengthen students' understanding of economics as a science to enhance their reasoning skills, introducing them to the wider philosophical issues surrounding our understanding of the area.