Ends and means in economics education: what do economics teachers usually fail to say to their students about ends in economics?

Vítor Neves

Chapter 14 in Handbook of Teaching Philosophy to Economists, 2025, pp 170-184 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The borderline between ends and means is not as clear-cut as it is usually assumed to be: ends and means constitute a continuum and this hardly makes an ends-means dichotomy sustainable. Unfortunately, the mainstream of the economics profession remains reluctant to accept the possibility of bringing this debate back to the heart of economics discussions, and the issue has been largely concealed in economics education. This text is a plea for a deeper consideration of ends in economics and economics education. It is argued that economists cannot distance themselves from the discussion on the purposes of human action and how the latter influence the way economics is pursued. In addition, an effort is made, even if only in a tentative way, to show how to proceed if ends are brought back into economics.

Keywords: Ends; Means; Means-ends dichotomy; Economics education; Textbooks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035336814
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