Method and Organisation

  • Philip L. Williams

Abstract

This study analyses the way in which the theory of the firm’s production and selling decisions emerges from the eighteenth century until the death of Marshall in 1924. By the time of Marshall’s death the broad outlines of present debates in the field had been drawn. The penultimate chapter substantiates this proposition and reviews the evidence to determine whether we can distinguish good theory from bad.

Keywords

Hard Core Rational Reconstruction Scientific Research Programme Auxiliary Hypothesis Protective Belt 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Notes

  1. 1.
    R. H. Coase, in G. J. Stigler and K. E. Boulding (eds.), Readings in Price Theory ( London: Allen and Unwin, for the American Economic Association, 1953 ).Google Scholar
  2. 2.
    D. H. Robertson, The Control of Industry, 2nd ed. ( London: Nisbet, 1928 ) 85.Google Scholar
  3. 3.
    Notably E. Cannan, A History of the Theories of Production and Distribution in English Political Economy from 1776 to 1848, 3rd ed. ( London: Staples, 1917 ).Google Scholar
  4. G. J. Stigler, Production and Distribution Theories ( New York: Macmillan, 1946 ).Google Scholar
  5. 4.
    F. A. von Hayek, ‘Scientism and the Study of Society’, Part 1,Economica, New Series, ix (1942) 267–91. Part ii, x (1943) 34–63.Google Scholar
  6. 5.
    See M. Blaug in S. J. Latsis (ed.), Method and Appraisal in Economics ( Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976 ) 412.Google Scholar
  7. 6.
    D. Patinkin, Money, Interest, and Prices, 2nd ed. (New York: Harper and Row, 1965), was particularly significant in this respect.Google Scholar
  8. 7.
    I. Lakatos, in I. Lakatos and A. Musgrave (eds.), Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge ( Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970 ) 135.Google Scholar
  9. 8.
    Lakatos notes that externally directed problem choice does not occur, but claims that external history is secondary to internal history because the ‘most important problems of external history are defined by internal history’. This may not be true of the social sciences where politicians may perceive ‘problems’ with which the scientist must then cope. See I. Lakatos, in R. C. Buck and R. S. Cohen (eds.), Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol. viii (Dordrecht: Reidel, 1971 ) 102–5.Google Scholar
  10. 9.
    F. A. von Hayek, ‘The Trend of Economic Thinking’, Economica, xiii(1933) 121–37.Google Scholar
  11. 10.
    Popper contrasts the technical approach to knowledge (learning so as to aid the improvement of existing social relationships) with the historicist approach (attempts to divine the broad sweep of history).K. R. Popper, The Poverty of Historicism, 2nd ed. ( London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1960 ).Google Scholar
  12. 13.
    On this point, see G. C. Archibald, ‘Refutation or Comparison?’, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 17 (1966) 279–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. 14.
    K. R. Popper, The Logic of Scientific Discovery, first German ed. 1934, translated by the author ( London: Hutchison, 1959 ) 82–3.Google Scholar
  14. 20.
    See S. J. Latsis, in S. J. Latsis (ed.), op. cit.; S. J. Latsis, Situational Determinism in Economics (PhD thesis presented to the University of London, 1974); and S. J. Latsis, ‘Situational Determinism in Economics’, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 23 (1972) 207–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. 24.
    K. R. Popper, Conjectures and Refutations, 3rd ed. ( London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1969 ) 233.Google Scholar
  16. 26.
    Letwin dates scientific economics from 1660, but he means by a scientific approach the attempt to explain and predict using a limited number of variables. See W. Letwin, The Origins of Scientific Economics ( London: Methuen, 1963 ).Google Scholar
  17. 27.
    R. L. Meek, The Economics of Physiocracy. Essays and Translations ( London: Allen and Unwin, 1962 ) 374.Google Scholar
  18. 28.
    J. A. Schumpeter, History of Economic Analysis ( London: Allen and Unwin, 1954 ) 52.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Philip L. Williams 1978

Authors and Affiliations

  • Philip L. Williams

There are no affiliations available

Personalised recommendations