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Why economics is not a science of behaviour

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  • Marek Hudik

Abstract

The paper criticises psychologism, i.e. the idea that economics is a science of behaviour or that it must be rooted in such a science. The argument is based on Hayek and Popper's thesis that economics studies spontaneous order. First, it is argued that if economics is to retain its traditional distance from psychology, it has to abandon the notion that it is concerned with behaviour. Then it is shown that there is no simple one-way causation from the psychological to the social and that the study of spontaneous order must be non-psychological. Further, an attempt is made to clarify some misunderstandings about the concept of spontaneous order and the differences between psychologism and methodological individualism. Finally, it is suggested that the difference between the psychological and the social can be described conveniently in Popperian terms as the difference between the 'World 2' and 'World 3' phenomena.

Suggested Citation

  • Marek Hudik, 2011. "Why economics is not a science of behaviour," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(2), pages 147-162.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jecmet:v:18:y:2011:i:2:p:147-162
    DOI: 10.1080/1350178X.2011.575949
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    Cited by:

    1. David Lipka, 2014. "Do economists need virtues?," ICER Working Papers 06-2014, ICER - International Centre for Economic Research.
    2. Kakarot-Handtke, Egmont, 2012. "Why Post Keynesianism is not yet a science," MPRA Paper 43171, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Kakarot-Handtke, Egmont, 2012. "Keynes’s employment function and the gratuitous Phillips curve disaster," MPRA Paper 43111, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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