Article (Journal/Review)
Os dois métodos e o núcleo duro da teoria econômica
Fecha
2009-06-01Registro en:
Brazilian Journal of Political Economy. Editora 34, v. 29, n. 2, p. 163-190, 2009.
0101-3157
10.1590/S0101-31572009000200001
S0101-31572009000200001.pdf
S0101-31572009000200001
Autor
Bresser-Pereira, Luiz Carlos
Institución
Resumen
While methodological sciences have no object and are supposed to adopt a hypothetical-deductive method, substantive sciences including economics should use an empirical or historical-deductive method. The great classical economists and Keynes did that and were able to develop open models explaining how equally open economic systems work. Thus, the hard core of relevant economics is formed by the classical microeconomics and the classical theory of capitalist economic growth, and by Keynesian macroeconomics. In contrast, neoclassical economist aiming to build a mathematical science wrongly adopted the hypothetical-deductive method, and came to macroeconomic and growth models that do not have practical use in policymaking. The exception is Marshall's microeconomics that does not provide a model of real economic systems, but is useful to the analysis of markets.