Foundations of Economic Method: A Popperian Perspective

Methodology is often viewed as a bit part player within economics. Too tied down with debating past disputes, methodology has been viewed by many within economics as an irrelevance. This book attempts to change this sidelining of economic methodology by focusing on those current neoclassical research programs that are beginning to provide a sound theoretical basis for the evolution of economics, game theory, institutions and the market based system. The book provides a clear analysis of the fundamentals of economic methodology and goes on to show how Karl Popper's theory of science has not been widely adopted by economists, how his philosophy has been misunderstood by methodologists and how Popperian theory can be incorporated into current neoclassical theory to change it for the better. Many considerFoundations ofEconomic Methodto be Boland's best work. This updated edition is radically changed from the original and will be much appreciated not only by students and researchers withineconomic methodology and philosophy, but also all those involved in neoclassical theory to change it for the better.

Lawrence A. Boland is Professor of Economics at Simon Fraser University, Canada. He has published widely within economic methodology and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.