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Economic Models as Analogies, Third Version

Author

Listed:
  • Itzhak Gilboa

    (HEC, Paris, and Tel-Aviv University)

  • Andrew Postlewaite

    (Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania)

  • Larry Samuelson

    (Department of Economics, Yale University)

  • David Schmeidler

    (The InterDisciplinary Center in Herzliya, and TAU)

Abstract

People often wonder why economists analyze models whose assumptions are known to be false, while economists feel that they learn a great deal from such exercises. We suggest that part of the knowledge generated by academic economists is case-based rather than rule-based. That is, instead of offering general rules or theories that should be contrasted with data, economists often analyze models that are \theoretical cases", which help understand economic problems by drawing analogies between the model and the problem. According to this view, economic models, empirical data, experimental results and other sources of knowledge are all on equal footing, that is, they all provide cases to which a given problem can be compared. We offer complexity arguments that explain why case-based reasoning may sometimes be the method of choice and why economists prefer simple cases.

Suggested Citation

  • Itzhak Gilboa & Andrew Postlewaite & Larry Samuelson & David Schmeidler, 2012. "Economic Models as Analogies, Third Version," PIER Working Paper Archive 13-007, Penn Institute for Economic Research, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania, revised 27 Jan 2013.
    • Handle: RePEc:pen:papers:13-007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Blog mentions

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    1. New Paper: Economic Models as Analogies by Itzhak Gilboa et. al.
      by N. Emrah Aydınonat in N. Emrah Aydınonat (English) on 2012-01-15 02:53:37

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    1. Aragones, Enriqueta & Gilboa, Itzhak & Postlewaite, Andrew & Schmeidler, David, 2014. "Rhetoric and analogies," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 1-10.
    2. Paul Pfleiderer, 2014. "Camaleones: el mal uso de modelos teóricos en finanzas y economía," Revista de Economía Institucional, Universidad Externado de Colombia - Facultad de Economía, vol. 16(31), pages 23-30, July-Dece.
    3. Thomas J. Sargent, 2015. "Robert E. Lucas Jr.'s Collected Papers on Monetary Theory," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 53(1), pages 43-64, March.
    4. Andrea Salanti, 2013. "Between the Scylla of Whig history and the Charybdis of methodological vacuum," Chapters, in: Marcel Boumans & Matthias Klaes (ed.), Mark Blaug: Rebel with Many Causes, chapter 14, pages 191-207, Edward Elgar Publishing.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Methodology; Case-based reasoning;

    JEL classification:

    • B40 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - General
    • B41 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - Economic Methodology

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