Rigour beyond method: why economists should want philosophy

Melissa Vergara-Fernández

Chapter 21 in Handbook of Teaching Philosophy to Economists, 2025, pp 271-282 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: In this chapter, I argue that to bolster rigour in economics, practitioners need more than rigorous methods—they may want philosophy too. Rigour cannot simply be outsourced to the methods; it must be upheld by autonomous, creative, and critical thinkers. Philosophical tools are suited to foster such practitioners, whether academic or not. A standalone philosophy of science course, as others have suggested, may not suffice to achieve this. Instead, integrating methodological reflection directly into individual economics courses and supporting it with a course on the history of the philosophy of science offers a more effective strategy. This twofold approach demonstrates and justifies that upholding rigour in economics ultimately depends on how well practitioners can justify their choices.

Keywords: Teaching philosophy; Teaching economics; Rigour; Methodology; Philosophy of science; Business ethics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035336814
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