Normative methodology of positive economics: A critical assessment of the role and the functions of economic methodology

Date

1996

Author

Demir, Ömer

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Economics and economic methodology are two different fields of inquiry in terms of their aims, methods and functions. Since methodology has to follow its science (this is one of the main arguments of this article), the positive-normative distinction, which has vital importance in all social sciences, has different functions in economics and in economic methodology. In economics, positive knowledge is the knowledge about "what is, was or will be". In economic methodology positive knowledge is the knowledge about the scientific activity without taking into account the "demarcation criterion/criteria". Normative knowledge in economics, on the other hand, is the knowledge about "what ought to be" and normative knowledge in economic methodology is knowledge about scientificity of knowledge according to proposed or accepted "demarcation criterion/criteria". Consequently, mainstream economics has positive, but mainstream economic methodology has normative characteristics because of the social function of the methodology in general and economic methodology in particular.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/109507

Collections

Department of Economics, Article