040049 SE Philosophy and Economics (MA) (2022W)
Philosphy of Economics in Germany and Austria in the First Half of the 20th Century
Continuous assessment of course work
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Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
- Registration is open from Mo 12.09.2022 09:00 to Fr 23.09.2022 12:00
- Registration is open from We 28.09.2022 09:00 to Th 29.09.2022 12:00
- Deregistration possible until Fr 14.10.2022 23:59
Details
max. 25 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
- Wednesday 05.10. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 15 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
- Wednesday 12.10. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 15 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
- Wednesday 19.10. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 15 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
- Wednesday 09.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 15 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
- Wednesday 16.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 15 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
- Wednesday 23.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 15 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
- Wednesday 30.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 15 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
- Wednesday 07.12. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 15 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
- Wednesday 14.12. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 15 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
- Wednesday 11.01. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 15 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
- Wednesday 18.01. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 15 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
- Wednesday 25.01. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 15 Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1 3.Stock
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
Efforts of students are evaluated on the basis of critical contributions to discussions (30%), talks (‘kick-off presentations’) (10%), seminar papers (35%), and written answers to short assignments (25%). Written answers to questions, talks and seminar papers are evaluated according to the clarity, precision, logical structure and completeness regarding the problems and arguments discussed. Weekly assignments and seminar papers can be in English as well as in German.The exact weights of these activities for the composition of the final grade depend on the number of participants and will be announced during the first class meeting.By registering for this course, you tacitly agree to having all your electronic submissions checked by Turnitin.
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
In order to conclude this seminar successfully, students have to provide one 10 min talk and hand in a seminar paper of ~5000 words; they also have to hand in short answers to questions assigned in advance of some of the seminar meetings (~8x200 words), and contribute in a lively manner to discussions. Written answers, talks and seminar papers are evaluated according to the clarity, precision, logical structure, and completeness regarding the problems and arguments discussed.
Examination topics
Primary and secondary literature discussed in the seminar.
Reading list
Will be provided via Moodle.Basic readings:
-) Karl Popper - The Poverty of Historicism (1936/1957)
-) Felix Kaufmann - Methodenlehre der Sozialwissenschaften (1936), Sections II.0-II.8
[translated as: Theory and Method in the Social Sciences (2014)]
-) Felix Kaufmann - Methodology of the Social Sciences (1958), Sections 9-17Readings for case studies will be provided in Moodle. Proposals from students are welcome.
-) Karl Popper - The Poverty of Historicism (1936/1957)
-) Felix Kaufmann - Methodenlehre der Sozialwissenschaften (1936), Sections II.0-II.8
[translated as: Theory and Method in the Social Sciences (2014)]
-) Felix Kaufmann - Methodology of the Social Sciences (1958), Sections 9-17Readings for case studies will be provided in Moodle. Proposals from students are welcome.
Association in the course directory
Last modified: Tu 13.09.2022 13:07
According to anti-naturalism, the methods of the natural sciences are in principle inapplicable to the (central) problems of the social sciences including economics. In contrast, pro-naturalism endorses or demands the application of the methods of the natural sciences to the social sciences including economics. In the first meetings of the seminar, we will discuss the influential explications of several pro-naturalistic and anti-naturalistic arguments by Felix Kaufmann (1936/2014) and Karl Popper (1936/1957). Having developed this conceptual and theoretical toolset, we will analyze several texts by German and Austrian economists, philosophers, methodologists, and social scientists from interwar period: What do they identify as the methods of the natural sciences (induction?, mathematical methods?, quantification?, physicalism?, positivism?, general laws?, experiments?)? How do these authors subsequently conceive of the relation between the natural sciences and the social sciences? Which methodological, economic, and political conclusions do they draw from their pro-naturalistic and anti-naturalistic premises? In the final meetings, we may venture an outlook on the role of pro-naturalistic and anti-naturalistic positions in contemporary economics and social science.Aims
By discussing pro-naturalistic and anti-naturalistic positions in the methodology of economics and methodology of social science, diligent students will learn to make sense of the theoretical problems in their historical context, to evaluate the achievements and main criticisms proposed in different debates, and to reflect on the current significance of these debates.Method:
Teaching consists in one unbroken 90-minute seminar, in which usually one or two texts are critically discussed. The language of discussion is English, though German may be welcome as well, depending on the participants and the texts discussed. Participation for students who do not read German is possible. Students are required to prepare for every meeting on the basis of obligatory readings.