Writing Workshop on Economic Methodology for a New Economics
In a time of overlapping crises and growing forms of inequality, new economic thinking is needed to address our modern challenges. This requires us to rethink the concepts and methodologies that frame current mainstream economic theory and practice.
Towards facilitating such discussions, Rethinking Economics India Network is organising a writing workshop to seek new ways of thinking about methodologies of economics research.
The top twenty selected participants will write an essay from a set of topics, and the top ten from these submissions will be shortlisted. The ten writers will be invited to present and defend their arguments. Out of the ten, the top three essays will be selected by our academic examiner. The essays will be published on Exploring Economics and REIN websites.
We encourage final year undergraduate students and post-graduate students of economics and related disciplines in Indian universities to apply for the workshop.
The essays will be from one of the four topics:
1. Is Economics a Science?
What is science and what is not science?
What are the determinants which make or do not make economics a science?
How should economics be approached by other sciences/disciplines?
2. What is an Economic Model?
What is the aim of an economic model?
What explains the functioning of an economic model? Is it instrumentalism, Casual Isolation, or Credible Worlds?
What does an economic model try to explain about our economy?
3. Are there any correct ways of doing economics research?
What is the historical nature of performing economics?
What can be defined as economics?
Can there be a correct way to do economics?
4. Is there a process to develop a criterion to choose between competing theories?
How can we comprehend different schools of economic thought?
What can be done if the different theories give out opposing understanding?
What are the problems/consequences that could arise with developing a criterion?