Two - Year Master Degree in Economics

The main aim of this course is to analyse, from an historical perspective, how economic theorizing changed from the end of the 18th century to the end of the 20th century. More precisely, how economics, being a branch of moral philosophy, became a technical social science. This course will explore the evolution of economic theorizing, the main changes in its methodology and key issues in history of economics. A special emphasis will be placed on the complex links between economic theorizing, economic events and policy measures

Students are expected to become acquainted with key methodological issues in economic theorizing and to be able to critically reexamine topics and analytical tools of economics, taking into account their historical evolution.

This course is divided into three parts:

Part 1 (Prof. David Lipka - Visiting Professor) includes the historical reconstruction of paradigms and models, more specifically within the classical school, and the marginalism/neoclassical school.

Part 2 (Prof. Giandomenica Becchio) includes an introduction to economic methodology. Special attention will be given to the evolution of neoclassical methodology. Some "heterodox" approaches will also be considered. A special focus on feminist economics will be provided.

Part 3 (Prof. Giovanni Pavanelli) will focus on the following topics: i) Value judgements and value neutrality in economics; ii) The rhetoric of economics: an analysis of McCloskey approach; iii) Thomas Kuhn's theory of scientific revolutions; iv) The methodology of recent research on economic fluctuations and crises.

Part 4 (Prof. Teodoro Togati) will focus on the following topics: 1) alternative interpretatiions of Keynesian economics; 2) alternative interpretatiions of the stagnation tendencies of advanced economies.

 

Textbook: Marcel Boumans and John Davis, with contributions Mark Blaug, Harro Maas and Andrej Svorencik. (2016) Economic methodology : understanding economics as a science. 2. ed. London, New York : Macmillan education : Palgrave.

Some pdf readings will be be added by instructors during classes and uploaded on moodle platform

Lessons are taught in person divided into four parts: Prof. Lipka (16hrs), Prof. Becchio (24hrs), Prof. Pavanelli (16 hrs), Prof. Togati (8 hrs)

suggested reading

Textbook: Marcel Boumans and John Davis, with contributions Mark Blaug, Harro Maas and Andrej Svorencik. (2016) Economic methodology : understanding economics as a science. 2. ed. London, New York : Macmillan education : Palgrave.