La validité des théories économiques

Jacques Fontanel ()
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Jacques Fontanel: CESICE - Centre d'études sur la sécurité internationale et les coopérations européennes - UPMF - Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 - IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble

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Abstract: Can an economic law be validated? Is it valid at all times on all spaces? No economic situation renews itself like no other. Empirical doctrines establish a set of propositions that must be tested by observation, statistics, and experience. There are no definitive criteria for proving the validity of a theory. On the other hand, economic studies also have the function of constructing instruments and methods to confirm or invalidate an economic "law" of the moment. Econometrics, history, experimental methods, model simulation, the study of institutions, in particular, are all means of determining whether a law is false. Today, it is impossible to prove the validity of a law in time and space.

Keywords: Positivism; Empiricism; Experimental methods; Economic theories; Economic law; Verification; Positivisme; Empirisme; Méthodes expérimentales; Théories économiques; Loi économique; Vérification (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1981-12-17
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/hal-02934940v1
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Published in Théories ou doctrines économiques ?, Université des Sciences Sociales Grenoble 2, Dec 1981, Grenoble, France

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