Neoclassical Economics’ Immunisation Strategies Against Behavioural Economics: Popper’s Perspective

Aleksander Ostapiuk

Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, 2024, issue 4, 51-73

Abstract: Although neoclassical economics faces frequent criticism, it remains the dominant paradigm, largely due to its immunisation strategies that rely on unfalsifiable concepts of utility and rationality. In this paper, I use Karl Popper’s philosophy to assess whether these strategies are justified. Firstly, I reconstruct Popper’s ideas on immunisation strategies, situational analysis, the rationality principle, and the metaphysical research programme. Next, I examine how neoclassical economics’ immunisation strategies counter critiques from behavioural economics. I conclude that neoclassical economics’ method does not produce empirical conjectures. I assess and evaluate this finding in relation to the “rationality principle”, as it parallels neoclassical economics’ optimisation axiom. Furthermore, I explore Popper’s relevance in the context of neoclassical economics’ recent incorporation of behavioural economics’ insights to show that my analysis is not purely historical.

Keywords: philosophy of science; philosophy of economics; Popper; neoclassical economics; behavioural economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://gnpje.sgh.waw.pl/pdf-190911-119734 Full text (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sgh:gosnar:y:2024:i:4:p:51-73

Access Statistics for this article

Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics is currently edited by Marek Gruszczyński, Grzegorz Konat

More articles in Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics from Warsaw School of Economics Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Grzegorz Konat ().