An inventory of economics’ topics where philosophy matters

Ricardo F. Crespo

Chapter 4 in Handbook of Teaching Philosophy to Economists, 2025, pp 43-49 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter starts by arguing that philosophy serves as a guideline to approach science, setting forth its principles, subject matters, and epistemological conditions. Thus, it proves very useful for economics, whose nature and definition still remain unclear. The chapter then explores the branches of philosophy that can contribute to providing a better understanding of economic topics—namely, ontology, logic, philosophical anthropology, social ontology, ethics, and epistemology. Next comes a description of five epistemological approaches to explore economic phenomena: statistics and economic history, positive economics, the study of the ends of economic actions, normative economics, and “the art of political economy.” Finally, the chapter briefly offers some suggestions for the teaching of economics.

Keywords: Role of Philosophy in Science; Definition of economics; Philosophy and economics; Epistemology of economics; Scientific approaches to economic phenomena; Teaching of economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035336814
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