Ricardo F. Crespo - Böcker

During the second half of the twentieth century, economics exported its logic – utility maximization – to the analysis of several human activities or realities: a tendency that has been called “economic imperialism”. This book explores the concept termed by John Davis as “reverse imperialism”, whereby economics has been seen in recent years to have taken in elements from other disciplines.Economics and Other Disciplines sheds light on the current state and possible future development of economics by focusing on it from a philosophical perspective, broadening the concept of rationality in economic theory. The beliefs that prevail in the world today make up a physicalist worldview. This book argues that this pervasive view is harmful for economics as a social science. Do new economic currents like behavioral economics, evolutionary economics, neuroeconomics, institutional economics, happiness economics, the capability approach and civil economy, escape this widespread mentality? What would be an adequate underlying economic ethos? Do these approaches fit into this ethos?Ricardo F. Crespo appraises the contributions from a classical philosophy angle, emphasizing their implications regarding practical reason. This volume is of great importance to those who are interested in political economy, economic theory and philosophy, as well as philosophy of social science.

The Nature and Method of Economic Sciences: Evidence, Causality, and Ends argues that economic phenomena can be examined from five analytical levels: a statistical descriptive approach, a causal explanatory approach, a teleological explicative approach, a normative approach and, finally, the level of application.The above viewpoints are undertaken by different but related economic sciences, including statistics and economic history, positive economics, normative economics, and the ‘art of political economy’. Typically, positive economics has analysed economic phenomena using the second approach, causally explaining and often trying to predict the future evolution of the economy. It has not been concerned with the ends selected by the individual or society, taking them as given. However, various new economic currents have emerged during the last 40 years, and some of these do assign a fundamental role to ends within economics. This book argues that the field of positive economics should adapt to deal with the issues that arise from this. The text attempts to discern the nature of economic phenomena, introducing the different approaches and corresponding economic sciences. It goes on to analyse the epistemological characteristics of these in the subsequent chapters, as well as their disciplinary interrelations. This book is a valuable resource for students and scholars of the social sciences, philosophy, and the philosophy of economics. It will also be of interest to those researching political economy and the development of economic thought.

In recent years there have been increasing calls for a revision of the economics curriculum to address the most pressing and challenging issues facing society. This erudite Handbook bridges the gap between a flourishing body of scholarship in the philosophy of economics literature and an economics education in need of a deeper rethinking, as felt by both students and educators. It provides practical pedagogical insights on how to structure courses in the philosophy of economics and how to link them to students’ economics backgrounds.The Handbook of Teaching Philosophy to Economists puts forward a deeper philosophical investigation of the assumptions that ground economic discourse and analysis as it is taught to new generations of students. Adopting a critical and reflective approach, the Handbook examines approaches to intergenerational and intragenerational justice, equity, health and well-being, and ecological and environmental issues, with a focus on the role, limits and scope of public policy. Adopting an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach to teaching economics, it demonstrates the need for a deeper rethinking of economics education.This Handbook is an invaluable tool for students and academics across economics. Its insights into methodological reflection will also greatly benefit educators and researchers in philosophy and economics.

The Nature and Method of Economic Sciences: Evidence, Causality, and Ends argues that economic phenomena can be examined from five analytical levels: a statistical descriptive approach, a causal explanatory approach, a teleological explicative approach, a normative approach and, finally, the level of application.The above viewpoints are undertaken by different but related economic sciences, including statistics and economic history, positive economics, normative economics, and the ‘art of political economy’. Typically, positive economics has analysed economic phenomena using the second approach, causally explaining and often trying to predict the future evolution of the economy. It has not been concerned with the ends selected by the individual or society, taking them as given. However, various new economic currents have emerged during the last 40 years, and some of these do assign a fundamental role to ends within economics. This book argues that the field of positive economics should adapt to deal with the issues that arise from this. The text attempts to discern the nature of economic phenomena, introducing the different approaches and corresponding economic sciences. It goes on to analyse the epistemological characteristics of these in the subsequent chapters, as well as their disciplinary interrelations. This book is a valuable resource for students and scholars of the social sciences, philosophy, and the philosophy of economics. It will also be of interest to those researching political economy and the development of economic thought.

During the second half of the twentieth century, economics exported its logic – utility maximization – to the analysis of several human activities or realities: a tendency that has been called “economic imperialism”. This book explores the concept termed by John Davis as “reverse imperialism”, whereby economics has been seen in recent years to have taken in elements from other disciplines.Economics and Other Disciplines sheds light on the current state and possible future development of economics by focusing on it from a philosophical perspective, broadening the concept of rationality in economic theory. The beliefs that prevail in the world today make up a physicalist worldview. This book argues that this pervasive view is harmful for economics as a social science. Do new economic currents like behavioral economics, evolutionary economics, neuroeconomics, institutional economics, happiness economics, the capability approach and civil economy, escape this widespread mentality? What would be an adequate underlying economic ethos? Do these approaches fit into this ethos?Ricardo F. Crespo appraises the contributions from a classical philosophy angle, emphasizing their implications regarding practical reason. This volume is of great importance to those who are interested in political economy, economic theory and philosophy, as well as philosophy of social science.

This book explores the deep meaning—the nature or essence—of the economy and its fundamental components. Among the important topics covered in the book are the meanings of the economy, the nature and role of economic agents, the nature of the macroeconomy, the nature and role of money, and so on.

This book explores the deep meaning—the nature or essence—of the economy and its fundamental components. As a monograph on the philosophy of the economy and economics, it deduces the metaphysical nature of these two, going step by step from more general to more specific realities to finally arrive at the adequate features of the economic sciences and their methods. It builds on a largely Aristotelian approach, but also draws extensively from modern scholarship in the area. Usefully and pertinently, the book covers both general aspects of the economy and particular historically specific features. Among the important topics covered in the book are the meanings of the economy, the nature and role of economic agents, the nature of the macroeconomy, the nature and role of money, and so on. The book concludes with chapters on the nature of economics itself and its methodologies.

This book sheds philosophical light on the current and future scope of artificall inteligence. Artifical intelligence (AI) I is becoming increasingly relevant in today’s world. However, ‘AI’ is a very generic label that encompasses a multitude of realities and fuels very dissimilar reactions. Some share a positive view on it, stressing the important services provided by its applications to everyday life and in specific fields. Others grimly focus on possible biases of AI utilization outcomes and damaging consequence, and there are even apocalyptic visions of the terrible future impact of AI developments (Artificial General Intelligence - AGI) on humanity. Ricardo Crespo uses a classical philosophical approach to look at the nature of technology and of AI, including the ontology of AI and its potential abilities to think and act freely. This analysis reveals some of the current and upcoming perils of AI, calling for an appraisal of its actual pros and cons to determine the position and actions that should be adopted in its regard. Classical philosophical notions of metaphysics, epistemology, anthropology and ethics come in handy to gain a better understanding of this technological breakthrough. This approach challenges the notion that AI will eventually share human traits in the future. On the flip side, it will highlight the useful contributions that AI provides and will provide in the years to come.

This book develops a philosophical analysis of economic reality and economic science from an Aristotelian point of view. It differs from other philosophy of economics books as it also deals with economic reality (not only the science) and approaches its subject from an Aristotelian perspective.