Universität Wien
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180172 SE Analysis of Economic Concepts (2022S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie
Prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung
Moodle

An/Abmeldung

Hinweis: Ihr Anmeldezeitpunkt innerhalb der Frist hat keine Auswirkungen auf die Platzvergabe (kein "first come, first served").

Details

max. 30 Teilnehmer*innen
Sprache: Englisch

Lehrende

Termine (iCal) - nächster Termin ist mit N markiert

  • Dienstag 01.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 08.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 15.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 22.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 29.03. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 05.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 26.04. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 03.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 10.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 17.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 24.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 31.05. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 14.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 21.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock
  • Dienstag 28.06. 11:30 - 13:00 Hörsaal 3F NIG 3.Stock

Information

Ziele, Inhalte und Methode der Lehrveranstaltung

Prerequisites:

Philosophy of Science (E.g., M2.P1 Central Topics and Texts in Theoretical Philosophy); Intermediate Microeconomics (E.g., M2.E1 Foundational Microeconomics); Basic game theory (E.g., Weeks 1 and 2 of the Coursera lecture from the University of British Columbia: Jackson et al, "Game Theory").

Course Outline:

Among the multitude of existing social phenomena, only a small fraction catches the attention of economists. Not the fraction that we, faced with various life experiences and equipped with common sense concepts, would always expect or wish for. Two questions arise: Which social phenomena? Why these?

The second question is very difficult. Not everyone will be inclined to tackle it by means of the same strategy. Three widely used strategies are these:

1. Sociology of knowledge (emphasis on the influence of social, political, and economic factors on scientific practices);
2. History of thought (emphasis on tradition and continuity in scientific practices);
3. Normative epistemology and philosophy of science (emphasis on the normative features of scientific practices).

Each of these three strategies is legitimate, and each brings to light the importance of looking at prevailing scientific practices.

In this seminar, we focus on the simpler question: Which social phenomena? We proceed by themes and base our analysis on a selection of paradigmatic examplars which, arguably, can be seen as structuring elements in the formation of mainstream economic concepts. We investigate:

1. How examplars endow economists with concepts that help them demarcate ‘economic phenomena’ from other phenomena;
2. How examplar-based economic concepts differ from closeby common sense, philosophical, or sociological concepts;
3. What examplar-based economic concepts reveal about economist’s epistemic values, social values, methodological commitments, reasoning styles, etc.

Despite our focus on paradigmatic examples, general lessons will emerge. A successful student will have developped skills to:

1. Sort out ‘economic phenomena’ from ‘non-economic’ phenomena (according to mainstream standards);
2. Differentiate economic concepts from numerous false friends present in either of common sense-, social scientific-, and philosophical discourse.
3. Relate conceptual differences between economics and other fields to values and commitments charactistic of mainstream economic practices.

Art der Leistungskontrolle und erlaubte Hilfsmittel

There will be a series of weekly homeworks to hand in (via Moodle). These are intended as (1) a self-help device (i.e., they should help you figure out, prior to class, whether or not you paid sufficient attention to the reading assignment of the week) and (2) a basis for collective brain-storming. For these reasons, I will evaluate them along completeness criteria only. The scale (detailed below) is such that students can skip at least one of the weekly homeworks without loosing a chance for a full grade.

On a week of her / his choosing, the student will have to make a video presentation of a relevant paper. This paper, pre-selected by the lecturer, will differ from the mandatory read of the week: it is meant to expand the groups’ horizon on the covered topic. Videos will be evaluated on three criteria (clarification of the relationship to the mandatory read, proper account of the paper’s main argument or model, clarity and audience friendliness), each of which can be fully met, partially met, or not met at all. The scale (detailed below), imposes that all criteria be at least partially met.

At the end of the term, the student will be asked to submit an essay. Detailed assessment criteria will be shared on Moodle in due time.

Mindestanforderungen und Beurteilungsmaßstab

Your weekly homeworks will make up 25% of your final grade. They will be evaluated according to the following scale:

1: 85-100% of the questions are completed;
2: 75-84% of the questions are completed;
3: 60-74% of the questions are completed;
4: 50-59% of the questions are completed;
5: 0-49% of the questions are completed.

Your video presentation will make up 25% of your final grade. It will be evaluated according to the following scale:

1: All three criteria fully met;
2: Two criteria fully met, one partially met;
3: One criterium fully met, two partially met;
4: Three criteria partially met;
5: At least one of the criteria is not met at all.
Your final essay which makes up 50% of your final grade, will similarly be evaluated on a scale from 1 to 5.

A positive evaluation requires that you achieve a pass grade (4) in all assessment components, and that you actively attend the seminar. Two unauthorized absences will be excused.

Conditional on fulfilling the necessary requirements just mentionned, the final grade, comprised between 1 (“Very good”) and 4 (“Adequate”), is a rounded weighted average of the separate assessment grades. A failure to abide by one of the necessary requirements yields a 5 ("Insufficient").

Prüfungsstoff

Topic 1: General philosophy of economics – Essentials

Topic 2: Choice, Preference, and Welfare

Topic 3: Institutions and Cooperation

Topic 4: Markets and Competition

Literatur

Readings will be made available on MOODLE in due time. All assigned readings will be in English.

Zuordnung im Vorlesungsverzeichnis

Letzte Änderung: Sa 08.07.2023 00:17